Take-Back Day Reproducible Article

TAKE-BACK DAY REPRODUCIBLE ARTICLE

The article below can be customized to highlight your hospital or command’s participation in National Take-Back Day. Simply fill in the highlighted areas with your event details and disseminate via your communication channels (e.g., newsletter, blog, website) or contact your PAO for support submitting the story to the Navy Newsstand.

[COMMAND/MTF NAME] SUPPORTS NATIONAL TAKE-BACK DAY AND COLLECTS [NUMBER OF

LBS/TONS] OF UNUSED AND EXPIRED MEDS FROM SAILORS

The [Command/MTF] partnered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by participating in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held on September 27. The event provided Navy personnel and their families a safe venue to turn in expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs to a local drop-off site anonymously and free of charge.

The Navy has partnered with the DEA for National Take-Back Day since 2010. This initiative supports the Navy’s efforts to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs and educate Navy personnel on the safe and proper use and disposal of their medication. Sailors can also find instructions for safe disposal at home on the Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention website, www.nadap.navy.mil.

[Quote from Command/Medical leadership]

[Sentence on the amount of drugs returned]

Earlier this year, the Navy launched a new campaign, “Prescription for Discharge,” aimed at preventing misuse of prescription drugs. The primary focus of the campaign is to educate Sailors, Marines and their family members on the safe and proper use of prescription drugs, and the health and career risks of misuse. The campaign features four primary steps for the proper use of prescription drugs: 1. take correctly, 2. report promptly, 3. dispose properly, and 4. never share.

“The Prescription for Discharge campaign could not have been developed without help and cooperation from Sailors, and we look forward to engaging Sailors to help share messages about safe prescription drug use in the future,” said Dorice Favorite, Director of Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention. “We ask that all Navy personnel tell at least one person they know about how to safely dispose of unused and expired meds at home, and about the very real health dangers and careers risks of prescription drug misuse.”

Navy personnel can find more information about the Prescription for Discharge campaign, including print materials for display at medical facilities, leadership talking points and a medical provider toolkit, on the NADAP website, available at www.nadap.navy.mil.