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Prescription Drug Drop-Offs Aim to Curb Abuse

By Bryan Thompson, Kansas Public Radio

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-966204.mp3

KANSAS CITY, Ks. – The term "drug abuse" usually conjures up images of cocaine, heroine and meth. But drug abuse in this country increasingly means the misuse of drugs that are perfectly legal - when prescribed by a doctor. The 2010 Monitoring the Future survey found that six of the top ten substances abused by high school seniors are prescription drugs. What's more, emergency room visits and unintentional overdose deaths involving prescription drugs are up sharply. And as Kansas Public Radio's Bryan Thompson reports, authorities say a lot of these drugs are coming from home medicine cabinets, where they've been sitting - unused and unneeded - perhaps for months.

Dozens of sites around the Kansas City area will be collecting these drugs on Saturday, April 30, for safe disposal by incineration.

Click here to find a prescription drug drop-off location.

 

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