Prescription drug abuse has become a persistent problem across the country, which is why towns, cities and counties are embarking on efforts to curb it. One of the ways through which this is done is by organizing prescription drug take-back events.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is no exception.
Recognizing the fact that teenagers point to medicine cabinets at home as a source of prescription drugs, the Department organizes Prescription Drug Take Back Days – although the next event has not yet been scheduled. The Department is currently working on installing secure drop-boxes at their facilities, where unwanted prescription drugs can be dropped off. Until those sites are ready, however, residents can be dropped off during business hours at the Sheriff’s headquarters office at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct., in San Diego.
The Sheriff’s Department shares further that it has identified OxyContin as the drug of choice for teens and young adults aged 14 to 30. These young people get their OxyContin from street level dealers in the country as well as in Mexico, or over the Internet. Some neighborhoods have been identified as abuse “hotspots”: Torrey Pines, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Tierrasanta.
The San Diego County Sheriff website also contains information that may be useful to parents, such as the common slang terms that are used by teens to refer to certain prescription drugs of abuse, as well as warning signs for abuse that parents should watch out for. Among these signs are drop in academic performance, a seeming loss of motivation, fatigue, and having problems with money.
Tags: Prescription Drug Abuse, prescription drugs, san diego county prescription drugs, san diego prescription drugs
