Drug take back events in Cheney, Airway Heights
Last updated 4/15/2021 at 11:35am
CHENEY — TALK 2 Healthy Choices Community Coalition and its partners are hosting a prescription drug take back event in conjunction with the annual Cheney Clean Sweep this Saturday, April 24.
The event takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Cheney Library parking lot, and allows the public to dispose of unused or expired prescription medical in a safe and easy way. A similar event is also taking place the same day and time at the Walmart parking lot in Airway Heights.
Prescription and over-the-counter medications will be accepted at both locations. Medications can remain in their original containers and labels do not need to be removed. Medications not in their original containers will be accepted too.
This take-back event will be a drive-thru event, socially distanced with all participants required to wear a mask and supports a campaign from the Washington State Health Care Authority, called “Starts with One.” According to a news release, this campaign informs and educates young adults, their parents and older adults about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and the importance of safe storage, and disposal of prescription opioids.
According to the campaign website, “75 percent of opioid misuse starts with people using medication that wasn’t prescribed for them — usually taken from a friend or family member.”
The first 150 people at each event in Cheney and Airway Heights will receive a locking medication box or pouch. No need to drop off medications to participate.
Hosting the event along with Talk 2 Health Choices, Cheney Clean Sweep and the Cheney Library are the Cheney, Eastern Washington University and Airway Heights police departments, Cheney and Airway Heights fire departments and Spokane County Fire districts 3 and 10.
Participating in these take-back events is one thing individuals can do to help positively impact the opioid crisis and protect loved ones. Other ways to help are using permanent medication drop boxes and/or mail back programs to dispose of unused or expired medications regularly.
On the West Plains, the EWU and Airway Heights Police Departments have permanent medication drop boxes for community members to access on a daily basis. Cheney Library and District 10 Fire Department participate in mail-back programs. Mail-back services for expired or unwanted medicines are available, free of charge.
In 2011, the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery launched the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) to provide substance abuse prevention services and strategies through local coalitions in high-need communities. TALK 2 Healthy Choices Community Coalition serves the communities that feed into Cheney High School. Communities have proven to be an effective organizing force for bringing evidence-based policies and programs to scale, improving public health.
Through partnerships with counties and school districts across Washington, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Educational Service Districts, CPWI is implemented statewide in 82 communities, all 39 counties and all 9 Educational Service Districts.
CPWI is a community and school-based model for delivering prevention programs and strategies to reduce underage misuse and abuse of alcohol, marijuana, opioids, tobacco and other drugs. This model uses a data-informed, community-level decision making process to determine root social and emotional causes that predict problem behaviors, focusing on building healthy and safe communities, expanding quality preventative services, empowering people to make healthy choices and eliminating health disparities.
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