Beaver Staff
Drug Free Kids Canada has launched a new public awareness campaign for August to coincide with National Drug Drop Off Month.
The campaign encourages adults to properly dispose of their unused medications to prevent the ever-growing number of kids who get their hands of prescriptions not meant for them.
“Parents can take an important step to help reduce these numbers by being good stewards of prescription and over-the-counter medications in their homes,” says Chantal Vallerand, executive director of Drug Free Kids Canada.
Over the years, more than 2,500 tonnes of unused and expired medicines were recuperated by local pharmacies in Canada as part of Drug Free Kids Canada’s National Drug Drop off campaigns. This year, the campaign will focus on the importance of using prescription and OTC medications only for their intended purpose. Entitled “Families Shouldn’t Share Everything” the messaging will remind parents that prescription and over the counter medications should only be taken by the person they are prescribed to, and to engage in conversations with their kids about medication safety. The campaign will remind parents to return all unused and expired medications to the pharmacy for disposal as a simple way to keep their kids safe and protect the environment. Pharmacy associations across the country will once again join Drug Free Kids in promoting National Drug Drop-off Month, including the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
“National Drug Drop-off Month is an important opportunity for pharmacists to raise awareness about the potential dangers of unsecured storage of prescription and 1 Canadian Institute for Health Information over-the-counter medications, especially as many provinces are reporting a sharp increase in opioid-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Christina Tulk, chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association. “This August, on behalf of Canada’s pharmacists, we are urging Canadians to clear out their medicine cabinets of all unused, unwanted or expired medications and return them to their local pharmacy for safe, environmentally friendly disposal.”
Drug Free Kids Canada is a private sector, non-profit organization that creates and disseminates drug education and prevention messages with the help of their partners in advertising, research and media. DFKC also offers parents valuable tools and practical tips on how to start the conversation with their kids at DrugFreeKidsCanada.org.