FOX2now.com

September 19, 2009
EUREKA, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
The Rockwood Drug Free Coalition partnered with the Eureka, MO Police Department to coordinate the region's first prescription medicine take back event Saturday. The idea was to give residents a chance to appropriately discard unused, outdated prescriptions while also increasing awareness of the growing rate of prescription drug abuse among area youth. As family members age, more and more over the counter and prescription medications enter a household and the often aren't stored out of reach of children and teens.

Current studies of youth risk behaviors indicate that there are as many new abusers of prescription medications as there are of marijuana. In the 12-17 year old age bracket, more young people abuse prescription medications than ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine combined. Teens view prescription medicines as "safer" than illicit drugs and find them readily available.
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