Operation Medicine Cabinet

Operation Medicine Cabinet was held March 13, 2010. It was a huge success! We collected 150,000 pills and other medications that will now be disposed of properly by Onslow County law enforcement agencies. Our goal is to take this program statewide in the future. A big thanks goes out to all of the volunteers who helped make this day such a success!

FACT: According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), every day, 2,500 youngsters age 12 to 17 try a painkiller for the first time, and teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit street drug except marijuana.

Operation Medicine Cabinet, a day of amnesty to dispose of unused, unwanted and expired medications in the home, is currently being planned for early 2010. The program will allow people to drop off their unwanted medicines to law enforcement officials who will dispose of them in a safe and non-hazardous manner.

More than 70% of people who abuse prescription painkillers say they get them from home or right out of the medicine cabinets of family or friends. Operation Medicine Cabinet provides a way to join the fight against drug abuse, protect your family and pets against accidental ingestion and help keep our water clean and safe.

FACT:A vast array of pharmaceuticals—including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones—have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, according to an Associated Press investigation. (USA Today, 3/11/08)

Operation Medicine Cabinet protects the environment and prevents pollution by helping our community properly dispose of unused medications. Studies show that flushing medications down the toilet or sink drain contaminates water supplies and endangers aquatic life in our rivers and streams; wastewater facilities aren’t designed to remove pharmaceutical chemicals.

Operation Medicine Cabinet not only educates the public about the hazards of improper medication storage and disposal, but helps citizens get involved in making a difference in their communities.

White Oak-New Riverkeeper Alliance, the Onslow County Sheriff's Department, ONWASA, NC Cooperative Extension, Jacksonville Police Department and the city of Jacksonville have come together to support Operation Medicine Cabinet and to educate Onslow County residents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the easy accessibility of these drugs.

Prescription Drug Abuse Among Juveniles On the Rise in Onslow County