A Prescription Drug Abuse & Red Med Box Awareness and Education Day will be observed Tuesday in Monroe County as part of an effort by county commissioners to focus on an ongoing prescription drug abuse problem in the region.

Last month, the county board passed 9-0 a resolution recognizing the day to raise awareness and educate residents on the importance of properly disposing of medications.
“Flushing unwanted medications can contaminate water supplies and harm wildlife,” Dan Rock, recycling and green community program coordinator, said in his quarterly report. “Medications tossed in the trash can be stolen and abused and present a danger to children and pets.”
Authorities want to reduce access to prescription medications to reduce drug abuse among area youths, he said. As part of this effort, two medication take-back events were held in May and two more are scheduled Oct. 20 at Redeemer Baptist Church in Monroe and Nov. 3 at Carleton United Methodist Church.
The resolution cited the “prescription drug abuse epidemic” and dangers of misusing prescription medications. The resolution also encouraged citizens to make healthy decisions when using and storing medications.
J. Henry Lievens, board chairman, said the county health department has done a good job focusing on the significant impact the epidemic has had on individuals, families, businesses and communities.
“Disposing of these meds properly helps eliminate the terrible scourge we have in this county,” Mr. Lievens said. “The more awareness we raise, the better.”
Drug overdoses have surpassed traffic accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in Michigan, with prescription opioids and heroin responsible for more than half of all overdose deaths in the county, the resolution said.
About 70 percent of youths who misused prescription drugs reported they obtained them from home, family or friends. Disposal of unwanted medicines into a landfill or sanitary sewer is not the answer. That allows pharmaceuticals to be released into the environment and show up in surface waters around the state, contaminating them.
To combat the problem, the county is encouraging residents to safeguard all medications in their homes by monitoring their quantities, controlling access and disposing of old medicines by using the free “Red Med” medication disposal bins set up at six local law enforcement offices: City of Monroe, Michigan State Police-Monroe Post, Bedford Township, Village of Dundee, Village of Carleton and Erie Township. In 2015, nearly 1,000 pounds of old and unwanted medications were collected at these bins.