Sikeston not-for-profit organizing event to collect old, unused prescription drugs

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston not-for-profit group will host an event this month to collect and dispose of old prescription medications with the idea of keeping those drugs out of the hands of children, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported.

Trends indicate more of today's teenagers are passing on the hard-to-obtain street drugs and opting for the typically easily accessible prescription drugs.

"They (teens) think it's a prescription, and that's the extreme of it. It's so easily accessible to the kids, and they have no concept of the consequences," said Jane Pfefferkorn, executive director of Mission Missouri.

According to the recently published National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cocaine and methamphetamine use among young adults has dropped significantly while abuse of prescription drugs has risen.

To combat this growing trend, Mission Missouri, a not-for-profit faith-based organization in Sikeston, is hosting a Drug Take Back Event from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 19-20 and from noon to 5 p.m. March 21 at the corner of Malone and Kingshighway in Sikeston.

"This Drug Take Back Event is a great opportunity for community members to bring in old and unused prescription drugs to coalition members and local law enforcement officers with no questions asked," Pfefferkorn said. "We just want to give parents, family members and friends of teens the chance to safely dispose of their prescription drugs."

Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Scott County Sheriff's Department will take the collected drugs at the end of the day and be responsible for the disposal of them, Pfefferkorn said, adding it's no longer safe to flush drugs down the toilet because they can contaminate water systems.

"Amazingly, prescription drug abuse has touched a lot of people. We were getting information through focus groups throughout the counties we serve," Pfefferkorn said about how the idea originated to hold the event.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 70 percent of teens get prescription drugs from friends or family members.

"Prescription drugs appear safe to kids," said pharmacist Richard Logan of Charleston. "They're prescribed by a physician to ease pain or cure disease. They're dispensed by a pharmacist who talks to you and explains how the medication is designed to help a particular condition."

He continued: "Everything about them seems safe. Teens don't understand that the medications in their family medicine cabinet are, in many cases, far and away more powerful than street drugs, and therefore more dangerous in the wrong hands."

While at the event, attendees can tour the "Parents Who Care House," which will be set up to showcase the many danger zones in almost everyone's home that make prescription drugs so accessible to teens.

"The Parents Who Care House was created to give parents a chance to step back and look at the many places in their own home that their teens have access to prescription drugs," said Pfefferkorn. "As parents, we talk to our kids about alcohol and illegal drugs, but we never talk about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs found in our medicine cabinets."

Author and motivational speaker Jeannie S. Williams of Sikeston is partnering with Mission Missouri to educate parents on the dangers of prescription drug abuse -- an issue that has become very close to her heart.

In December 2008, one of Williams' former creative writing workshop students, 18-year-old Sarah Miller, died from an overdose of a painkiller combination while attending a Christmas party with close friends.

"Her parents were shocked to discover Sarah and her friends were asked to bring a prescription drug from their parents' medicine cabinet instead of a present to the party," Williams said.

Now Williams is helping Sarah's parents, Ray and Brenda Miller of St. Louis, raise awareness by partnering with Mission Missouri to educate parents in Sikeston about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We want to reach all parents and let them know not every story has a happy ending," Williams said. "This is an amazing opportunity for parents to come and give their old and unused prescription drugs to local law enforcement officers so their teens don't have access to them. Sarah's story is very sad, but I tell it in the hopes that it will save the lives of other teens."

To learn more about the Drug Take Back Event or the dangers of prescription drug abuse, visit www.missionmissouri.com or call (573) 481-0505.