As it says in my “About” page, I do drugs and get paid for it. Drug safety that is. As a general rule, I don’t write about it though. Today is an exception. Consider this a public service announcement.
In 2008, I had some minor surgery where I was given 60 — SIXTY — Oxycontin tablets for pain. I didn’t need very many at all because I am tough. Also because I don’t need to add drug addiction to the list of problems with this ‘temple’ of mine. Plus I really don’t like that out of control feeling I get from serious painkillers.
Still, I ended up with about 55 highly addictive painkillers in a home where my the-15 year old son lived. Jacob is a good kid, but hell, why tempt fate? Ultimately, I managed to get rid of them safely and securely. But not everybody is so lucky. In some places, prescription drugs are what thieves look for when they burglarize homes.
As I said, while I don’t normally mix work with the blogging (except when I’m goofing off), I think this is something everybody should know about:
Ditch your unused drugs Saturday, April 30.
Tomorrow (April 30) is Drug Take-Back Day, the annual nationwide push to stop people from trashing or flushing their unused medications. The DEA has set up hundreds of drop-off centers all across the country to orchestrate safe disposal of drugs. That’s no small feat — in the past decade, the DEA says it has collected more than 5.5 million pounds of unused pills. It’s a continual concern, since drugs at home can cause accidental poisonings, and drugs in landfills can pollute water supplies. [From my Daily STAT Morning Rounds newsletter]
To find a location near you (sorry, it’s US only) click on this link and enter your zip code.
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This song has nothing to do with drug disposal, but it’s a great song.
FiftyFourandAHalf 