Rob Rogers, Director of Substance Use Prevention and Grant Services
I participate in events throughout the community raising awareness of substance use prevention and harm reduction. When I am out, I frequently hear “I don’t have a problem with drugs” or “nobody in my family has an issue with drugs so you should be talking to someone else”.
The reality is everyone; every household that has medication that is either prescribed or over the counter, should be safely storing and disposing of medication. Not every overdose is experienced by someone with a substance use disorder; accidental ingestions, double dosing, and diversion of medication can happen in every home. Also, not every person who has a substance use disorder is public about it, their family may not know what they are struggling with on a daily basis.
To help raise awareness of safe storage and disposal we participated in the Somerset County Community Baby Shower and were able to provide every participant, 150 expecting or newly delivered families, with a Deterra Pouch and information on safe storage of medication. Deterra Pouches, an environmentally safe alternative for at home disposal of unused or expired medication, can be disposed of in the trash.
We also partnered with Pathways to Recovery and Redington Fairview General Hospital Birthing Department to provide education on Narcan, how it is used, why every household first aid kit should have it, and conducted on the site training and distribution of Narcan for those interested. If you have questions about safe storage, disposal, or other issues related to substance use prevention or harm reduction contact Robert Rogers at rrogers@kbhmaine.org or 207-474-8368 ext. 3607.
