Prescription drug abuse is a problem that plagues millions of Americans. The most obvious sign of the problem is, of course, the ongoing opioid epidemic that claims tens of thousands of lives annually. It’s an unfortunate truth that much of the drugs people abuse come from the medicine cabinets of family or friends. Specifically, National Drug Takeback Day helps tackle the prescription drug abuse problem by removing old and unused prescriptions from people’s homes.
National Drug Takeback Day – What is it?
National Drug Takeback Day occurs two times a year across the nations. Collection sites are set up where anyone can anonymously get rid of prescription medications. The anonymous nature of the program makes it an ideal opportunity for anyone holding a stolen prescription to safely dispose of it. The first takeback day in 2019 is on April 27.
National Drug Takeback Day Effectiveness
The takeback day program is quite effective. Each takeback day collects anywhere from 700,000 pounds to over 900,000 pounds of prescription medication. That total amount collected just since early 2016 is over 5 million pounds.
Drug Overdose Deaths
Drug overdose death in the US tops 70,000 each year. Prescription opioids take the blame for about 17,000 of those overdose deaths. Benzodiazepines, a group of prescription tranquilizers, accounts for more than 11,000 more.
Takeback days won’t end the problem of prescription drug overdose deaths. The collection days do help keep those prescription drugs out of the hands of people who might otherwise overdose.
Treatment Options
For someone who’s desperate to end their prescription drug addiction, takeback days can look like a straightforward way to go cold turkey. It’s a tempting but dangerous idea. Prescription drug withdrawal can end in anything from delusions to a coma. It takes careful medical attention for someone to transition from addiction and into recovery.
The best first step you can take is a detox program that uses medication-assisted treatments and, in some cases, gets you onto the first step in a tapering program. These approaches offer the safest way for you to start getting clean.
Rehab for prescription drugs almost always means treatment starting with an inpatient program at a partner facility. Overall, you can look into these programs on National Drug Takeback Day. Tapering programs need ongoing monitoring and adjustment that can prove difficult outside a residential program. In a residential program, you’ll likely see therapies such as:
- CBT and DBT
- Family Services
- Group Therapy
- EMDR
- 12-step Facilitation
BoardPrep Recovery Center® and National Drug Takeback Day
BoardPrep Recovery Center® offers Tampa FL substance abuse treatment programs, such as prescription drug rehab. After a residential program with a partner facility, you gain access to many more rehab programs at BoardPrep. Moreover, BoardPrep also specializes in helping professionals with their addictions.
Prescription drugs can not only wreck your life but ultimately take it. Don’t end up another statistic. Get the help you need from a quality rehab program. Call 866.796.4720 and see what BoardPrep has to offer.
