MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Marine Corps Base Hawaii is striving to be a drug-free community by supporting the National Take Back Initiative, Sept. 27, 2014.
The installation’s Marine Corps Exchange will be one of more than 6,000 drop-off points nationwide for the public to safely dispose of unused medication. Members of the MCB Hawaii Substance Abuse Counseling Center and Drug Enforcement Administration representatives will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for collection. The DEA will then safely dispose of collected medications to prevent misuse.
“Getting them off the street is a great thing,” said Alton Arakaki, MCB Hawaii’s SACC manager.
“Events like these prevent Marines and family members from taking (medications) in error or without proper knowledge. It’s a win for us, especially since we see our share of clients who fight prescription medication misuse.”
Since the national initiative started in 2010, MCB Hawaii offi cials have participated twice a year. During the last drive in April, the MCB Hawaii SACC and DEA representatives collected 40 pounds of unused prescription medication. During the four-year course of the national take back, more than 4.1 million pounds have been collected and disposed.
“We know that, physically, these meds can be highly addictive,” Arakaki said. “While addiction is different from one person to next, it’s still possible for one person to take drugs as prescribed by the doctor and then slip into addiction. If you don’t need your medications anymore, throw them away.”
Quentin Redmon, the drug demand reduction coordinator for the SACC, said signs of prescription medication abuse are similar to alcohol abuse, including habitual irritability.
“The biggest thing is awareness that this is an issue,” Redmon said. “These can be harmful, and (people need to be) aware of (negative effects) on the body.”
During the rest of the year, Arakaki said there are still ways to safely dispose of unused medications. Taking the medication out of the bottle, and mixing it with trash like coffee grounds or pet litter can prevent accidental ingestion or substance abuse. He said some big-box pharmacies also take back old prescriptions for proper disposal. Flushing medication is not recommended due to water safety concerns.
Both Arakaki and Redmon said the initiative reminds people their office is available if they need help.
“If you think you might have an addiction issue, you can always find a counselor to talk with at the SACC,” Arakaki said. “For anyone walking in the door, we can give them options on how they want to get through this. We have counselors for both walk-ins and scheduled appointments.”
A total of 4.5 million Americans who are 12 years old or older have recently reported abusing prescription medication, according to figures from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
For more information about the SACC, visit their offices in building 279 or call 257-3900.