Ellington Youth Services Prevention Newsletter Prevention Newsletter Spring 2017 | Page 2

Parent Connection Page 2 Parent Connection Connection Parent Page 7 7 Page Prescription Drug Drop Box For those residents who are unable to get to the State Troopers Office on April 29th for the National Take Back Day, there is a permanent prescription drug drop box located in the front lobby of the State Troopers Office at 33 Arbor Way in Ellington. The office is open for you to drop off your expired or unused drugs Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, or by appointment. Please contact them at 860-875-1522. Please, no liquids or “sharps (used needles).” For more information on the troopers, please visit www.ellington-ct.gov and go to the Police page. In addition, Troop C of the Resident State Troopers located at 1320 Tolland Stage Road in Tolland has a permanent drop box. Troop C is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their phone number is 860-896-3200. It is recommended to take inventory of your prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs periodically. It is best to secure your medicine cabinet or place medications in a locked box. Dispose of any unused or expired medications immediately. Don’t let them get into the wrong hands! Ellington’s Sgt. Brian Santa and Trooper Brin Warenda with the Prescription Drug Drop Off box. If it is impossible to get to the drop box or the Take Back Day, remove the drug from its original container and mix it with an undesirable substance such as cat litter or used coffee grounds. Place in a sealed container or sealed plastic bag and throw in the garbage. Do not flush them down the drain or toilet unless the label specifically instructs you to do that. Resources for Getting Help By Phone Diane Lasher-Penti, LMFT- Director, Ellington Youth Services-860-870-3130 Infoline—Dial 211 from anywhere in Connecticut and you will reach a highly-trained contact specialist who will assess your needs and provide referrals to the resources in your community. Capitol Region Mental Health Center-860-297-0999. Located at 500 Vine Street in Hartford. Hours are 8:00 am to 8:30 pm Monday-Friday. Community Health Resources (CHR)-877-884-3571. There are many locations throughout the state. CHR offers the most comprehensive array of mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, supported housing, foster care, prevention and wellness programs and integrated care services to children, adults and families in Central and Eastern Connecticut. InterCommunity (IC) - 860-569-5900. Located at 281 Main Street, East Hartford. They are there to help people improve their quality of life by providing physical, mental health and addiction services for optimum health and recovery. Wheeler Clinic Crisis Services-Adults-Central Connecticut: 860-747-3434, Adults-Hartford Area: 860-524-1182, Children: 866-870-5484. Websites for more info CHR -www.chrhealth.org/ Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)-www.ct.gov/dmhas Infoline 211-www.211ct.org Anxiety and Depression Assoc. of America (ADAA)-www.adaa.org Prescription Drug Facts Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a prescription drug that was prescribed for someone else or in a manner or dosage other than what was prescribed. Prescription drugs are the most commonly abused substances by Americans age 14 and older, after marijuana and alcohol. www.drugfree.org. –Parents Toll-Free Helpline: 1-855-DRUGFREE (855-378-4373). Great website for parents to find resources. Check out their resources page and the “Marijuana Talk Kit.” State of Connecticut Law Enforcement Opioids and stimulants are the most commonly abused prescription drugs. Young adults (age 18 to 25) are th e biggest abusers of prescription opioid pain relievers, ADHD stimulants, and anti-anxiety drugs. Opioid and heroin deaths in Connecticut are up 25% from last year for the same time period. Statewide Narcotics Task Force Public Education Office—203-630-5607 Both teens and young adults obtain the majority of prescription drugs from friends and relatives, sometimes without their knowledge. In one survey, 54% of high school seniors said that opioid drugs other than heroin would be fairly or very easy to get. If opioids are not accessible, heroin is the next drug of choice. (1-800-44DRUGS) In 2015, more than 52,000 Americans died of drug overdoes. That is an average of one death every ten minutes. Turn in The Pusher (TIP) Hotline—1-800-443-7847 All calls are strictly confidential!