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(At Least) 3Things You Can Do to Stop Opiate Addiction

October 23, 2017  |  Addiction, Emotional wellbeing, Heroin, Opiates, Partners, Recovery, Rx drugs

There\'s no doubt the opiate epidemic has burned across our area, state and nation. According to some estimates, overdoses killed more Americans in 2016 than in all of the Vietnam War. Overdose deaths the year before that topped all deaths that resulted form car crashes and gun violence. You\'d think, based on those numbers, people would be powerless to do anything about addiction in our communities.

But that\'s not entirely true. There are things you can do to combat the epidemic in your community. Here are just a few:

  1. Get rid of old, unused medications. Your medicine cabinet or kitchen cupboard may have old meds you haven\'t used in awhile. Some of them might be opiates. Take them to the nearest disposal location. You can find them at area police or sheriff\'s offices in Warren and Clinton Counties. Here\'s a list.
  2. Get involved with a coalition. Substance abuse prevention and drug-free coalitions are groups comprised of organizations and individuals that work to stem the tide of new addictions from starting. The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Warren County meets the first Thursday of every month at the Warren County Administration Building. Learn more about their work.
  3. Learn more about your workplace\'s Employee Assistance Program. Strong EAPs help people find help and reduce the costs to organizations, like lost productivity.

These are just a few things. MHRS is working on prevention efforts through local substance abuse prevention groups and school-based education efforts. We always encourage community involvement in finding workable solutions. Your voice matters. Join the conversation.