The Porter County Substance Abuse Council (PCSAC) is extending their reach into the community by collaborating efforts with sister coalitions and a multitude of agencies by offering training on how to properly store, dispense and dispose of prescription medications.
J. Michelle Sybesma, consultant for the Office of the Attorney General Greg Zoeller presented prescription medication data to Northwest Indiana sister coalitions – Porter County Substance Abuse Council and Drug Free LaPorte as well as Purdue University Extension-LaPorte County and representatives of local agencies and coalition members. In addition, Lake County Substance Abuse Council is also eager to participate in this initiative. Having a county-wide network of active agencies, neighboring county coalitions and state supported programs is critical to the formulation and presentation of statistically driven data to address the local problems.
In Porter County, prescription medication abuse is on the rise and the precursor to heroin use. This data coupled with local statistics will be used to develop a comprehensive packet that will outline the proper procedures for dispensing and disposal of these medications.
The coalition has been active with area middle schools by presenting prevention-based programming and capturing data in an effort to be more responsive to trending issues. Another preventive program that is currently being rolled out to all interested nursing home facilities is the state-wide initiative “The Bitter Pill” sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office and implemented in conjunction with the Council.
If you would like more information about the nursing home facility or middle school programming for your community, please contact Beatrice Owen at 219-462-0946 or visit www.portercountysac.org Information about Council events, meetings, news, links and updates can be found on the Facebook page – “Like” and “Share” to help spread the word. More information about the Bitter Pill can be found at: www.bitterpill.in.gov