Attacking the Prescription Drug Abuse "Epidemic" [VIDEO]

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and the Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey have announced the second annual American Medicine Chest Challenge for the Garden State.

It is scheduled for Saturday, November 12 between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

The AMCC is a public health initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, which was recently labeled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemic.

Residents in more than 50 New Jersey communities will be given the opportunity to dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired medicine. Click here to find a drop-off location near you.

“70% of people who abuse prescription drugs get them from family and friends,” says Angelo M. Valente, PDFNJ Executive Director. “So it’s very important that you eliminate that access and eliminate the supply.”

Video by Dino Flammia

Valente says prescription drug abuse affects every community throughout New Jersey and the country.

Beyond the drop-off effort, the AMCC also urges New Jerseyans to take a five-step challenge:

1. Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine.

2. Lock your medicine chest.

3. Dispose of your unused, unwanted and expired medicine in your home or at a disposal site.

4. Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed; do not share.

5. Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano, president of the SANJ, adds, “The Sheriff’s Association is proud to be taking a leadership role in this important initiative for New Jersey residents.”

The SANJ is responsible for coordinating local collection sites in each of the state’s 21 counties. The process is anonymous.