November 1, 2017
Battling drug abuse
Around Town
Funds help local veterans take Honor Flight P.3 St. Charles County Parks hosts fall events through November P.4
School
Discovery Ridge Elementary celebrates Discovery Days P.6
Business Primrose School of St. Charles celebrates new location with ground breaking P.7
Photos by Ray Rockwell/BIGSTOCK
Police departments across St. Charles County host drug take-back events to help fight prescription drug abuse By Brett Auten It’s all about having an impact on access. Over the past weekend, the Lake Saint Louis Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) gave the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of what could be dangerously expired, unused and unneeded prescription drugs. One by one, citizens brought pills - the DEA couldn’t accept liquids and needles - to the Lake Saint Louis Civic Center for the anonymous, no-questions-asked, free service. While the tallies from the past weekend weren’t available, a similar day in April netted 72 pounds while the fall session in 2016 brought in 127 pounds. Susie Ochs, the Lake St. Louis Community Resource Officer, said these twice-a-year events have come to be good reminders for the community to dispose of the medicines. “When we first started, I thought after a year, or so it might die down,” Ochs said. “But it has been very consistent. We have collected a lot because it’s out there.” This initiative addresses what Ochs calls a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that sit in cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. In St. Charles County, paramedics responded to 426 overdose calls in 2016 which was double the amount in 2008. And unfortunately this year, the numbers have increased 20 percent year-todate compared to 2016.
Learn & Play
Studies have shown that a fair amount of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends. Also, the old-school method for disposing of unused medicines - flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash - pose potential hazards which make Prescription Drug Takebacks more important. “These events are much needed and very successful,” Val Joyner, Public Affairs Officer for the St. Charles County Police Department, said. “Each time our agency participates, the community gave back a significant amount of unwanted, unused and expired prescription medication.” During the St. Charles County Police Department’s Take Back event this past April, a total of 234 pounds of medication was collected. “That success gave us confidence that the community is learning the importance of properly disposing of medical waste to help prevent prescription drug abuse,” Joyner added. In return, the department also provides community members with educational materials on prescription drug abuse, candy confusion, TestMyTeen vouchers for complimentary youth drug testing and other beneficial resources. The St. Charles County Police Department did not participate in this month’s Take Back event because its station is under construction. However, once construction’s completed, community members will once again have access to the 24-hour medication disposal kiosk which accepts a variety of prescription medications. Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (over 900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and See BATTLE page 2
Serving St. Louis, St. Charles, and Lincoln Counties | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 19 No. 44 | 636-379-1775
Simple sheet pan suppers P.11
Movie ‘Geostorm’ is not the perfect storm P.16
Weather FRIDAY Mostly Cloudy; Showers 61/49 SATURDAY Mostly Cloudy; Showers 65/55 SUNDAY Partly Sunny 74/63 FirstWarn Weather
prepared by meteorologist Nick Palisch. For the latest updates visit www.facebook.com/nickswx.