County residents are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets. People can drop off old or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications at local pharmacies between May 14 and 18.
Teresa Shephard is a co-ordinator at Community Care who sits on the Prince Edward County Narcotics Committee. This group includes a number of local community agencies who work collaboratively on issues related to drugs and other substances. The members are concerned about the misuse of prescription drugs especially opioid pain relievers.
According to the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (2017): 11 per cent of students (Grade 7-12) have used a prescription opioid pain reliever (for example Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol 3, Demerol and codeine) without a prescription in the past year; nine per cent of students have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to get high; and 55 per cent of teens who indicated they had misused prescription opioids said they took them from a parent or sibling.
This initiative to encourage people to clean out their medicine cabinet will make homes safer by preventing prescription medication misuse and abuse. It also helps prevent the consumption of expired or inappropriate drugs. Unused medication should always be returned to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
For more information on substance abuse or harm reduction visit Hastings Prince Edward Public Health web site at www.hpeph.ca, call 613-966-5500 or e-mail accessibility@hpeph.ca.
Holiday hours
The Community Care office will be closed for Victoria Day, Monday, May 21. Community Care’s Thrift Shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pension Help Clinic Service Canada will hold a free Pension Help Clinic May 23 at the Community Care office. Make an appointment for help completing forms and to get answers to questions about CPP, CPP Disability, Old Age Security, and Guaranteed Income Supplement. Half-hour confidential appointments are available by calling 613-476-7493.
Wellington Seniors Luncheon Social
Enjoy lunch Wednesday, May 23 at noon with homemade soup, bangers and mashed potatoes, coleslaw, vegetables, carrot cake, bread and butter, coffee and tea all catered by Bill Grieve, the chef with Wheel House and Occasions Catering. The cost is $10 per person. Reserve your place by the Tuesday prior at noon by calling 613-476-7493. Library chief executive officer Barbara Sweet will talk about library services. Take-out and delivery available.
-Debbie MacDonald Moynes