Operation Medicine Drop

Please join Chief Rodney Monroe with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Emerson with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Agent in Charge James Bowman with the State Bureau of Investigation's Diversion & Environmental Crimes Unit, as they discuss plans for a weekend "drug drop off" at area Harris Teeter stores.  The press conference will take place at police headquarters on Thursday, March 26, 2009, at 4 o'clock p.m.

The event itself will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2009, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., at seven Harris Teeter locations within Mecklenburg County.  The purpose of the event is to provide members of the community a drop off location for any unused or outdated prescription medicine that they wish to discard.  

• With the misuse of prescription drugs second only to marijuana as the Nation's most prevalent drug problem, the annual average number of people using pain relievers non-medically for the first time exceeds the number of new marijuana users, according to a recent study released by SAMHSA. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• More than 2.2 million youth in the United States aged 12 to 17 used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in the past year to self-treat physical or mental distress, improve appearance or performance, catch an energy wave, or simply mellow out.
• 70% of teens who abuse prescription drugs admit to easily obtaining the drugs for free, primarily from friends and relatives
• The prescription drugs most abused by teens are "opioid" pain relievers such as Darvon, Dilaudid, OxyContin, Vicodin, and products containing codeine or morphine
• Teen abuse of prescription drugs also includes sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall, which are known for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Every day, 2,500 kids age 12 to 17 abuse a prescription painkiller for the first time.
• Drug treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than 300 percent from 1995 to 2005.

Listed below are the sponsoring Harris-Teeter Stores:

Cochran Commons - 2720 W. Mallard Creek Church Road

Southpark - 6701 Morrison Blvd.

Stonecrest - 7852 Rea Road

Steelcroft Shopping Center, 13000 South Tryon Street

Arboretum - 3333 Pineville-Matthews Road

Park Road Shopping Center - 4101 Park Road

Old Towne Mall, 4100 Carmel Road