Operation Medicine Cabinet Aims To Lower Drug Problems
DAVIE, Fla. (CBSMiami) — While some residents might have missed out on spring cleaning, the Broward Sheriff's Office gave residents a second chance on Saturday.
While officers didn't clean out anyone's closet, they did help make space in their medicine cabinets.
Operation Medicine Cabinet, which took place Saturday morning in Davie, gave residents an opportunity to turn in unused or expired prescription medication.
In exchange, residents received a $5 gift card.
In its fifth year, the free event also enabled residents to dispose of additional items, including personal documents, check stubs, credit card offers, receipts and other paperwork containing personal information.
According to the Broward Sheriff's Office website, the BSO's Homicide Unit investigated 53 overdose death cases in Broward County between June 2010 and May 2011:
- 79% of those deaths were overdoses by prescription drugs.
- 85% of these deaths were accidental; 15% were intentional suicides.
BSO offers these tips to parents who take medication:
- Monitor your medicine cabinets. Count how many pills you have and make note of the date when you should expect to refill your prescriptions. Be aware that kids may obtain these drugs from medicine cabinets while visiting friends or family. Restrict the availability of these substances within your home.
- Talk with your child about drug use. Help him or her understand that misused prescription drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs. When used in combination with other substances, such as alcohol, prescription drug use can be fatal.
