By Matt Kennedy
Research & Grants Specialist

As Red Ribbon Week draws to a close, an opportunity to make a significant impact on drug prevention remains. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow you can make an anonymous drop off of your prescription drugs for the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Click here to find a convenient drop off location.

Drug “danger zones” seem to have moved from school hallways and dark alleys to your household medicine cabinet as more than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to a 2009 national survey on drug use and health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A recent study from the Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation found that the percentage of teens that reported ever trying  prescription pain relievers not prescribed by a doctor has increased in each of the last three years. Additionally, the study found that the vast majority of parents do not talk to their kids about the risks of prescription drugs at the same levels of other drugs and 22% of parents believe it is okay to give their child a non-prescribed prescription drug for any situation.

The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day seem to be improving the prescription drug problem as the percentage of teens that perceived prescription drugs are available everywhere decreased from 55% in 2009 to 38% in 2010 and the two previous take-back days collected and disposed of more than 309 tons of pills nationwide.

paxUnited® hopes you support tomorrow’s take-back day and that you are a part of the solution in your community.  According to extensive evaluation, paxUnited’s award-winning Peers Making Peace^© peer mediation program and Positive Action Center  peer mentoring program enhance communication among today’s students so that drug detection and prevention strategies can be effectively implemented and result in an improvement in the social competencies and refusal skills of youth.