***Cancelled***
LENOIR, NC (March 09, 2020) — Safe Kids Caldwell County is partnering with Lenoir Police Department to provide a safe and secure way to people to properly dispose of unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.
On Saturday, March 21st from 10am-2pm, Safe Kids Caldwell County and Lenoir Police Department will be collecting unused, unwanted and/or expired medication at the Foothills Pharmacy (202 Harper Ave NW #A, Lenoir, NC 28645). By providing safe and secure ways for people to get rid of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications, this event can help prevent accidental poisonings and drug abuse while protecting out waters.
Most caregivers know they’re supposed to store medicine up and away, yet medicine poisoning in children happens every day. New research from Safe Kids Worldwide reveals that 52,000 children were treated in emergency rooms in 2017 for medicine poisonings. Medicines are the leading cause of child poisoning.
National Poison Prevention Week is March 15th to March 21st, 2020. It is important to raise awareness of this issue and promote to caregivers to safely store any medications they are currently using, and get rid of unwanted, unused or expired medications.
Follow these tips on how to keep kids safe around medications that you do keep in your home:
- Keep medicine up and away, out of reach and sigh of children, even medicine you take every day.
- Consider places where kids get into medicine.
- Remember products you might not think about as medicine.
- Give medicine safely to children.
- Save the Poison Help number in your phone and post it visible at home: 1-800-222-1222
- Share medicine safety information with family and friends.
For more information about medication safety, visit facebook.com/CaldwellCountySafeKids.
About Safe Kids Caldwell County
Safe Kids Caldwell County works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Caldwell County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Caldwell County was founded in 2017 and is led by the Caldwell County Health Department. For more information, visit safekids.org or facebook.com/CaldwellCountySafeKids.