While it is no secret that opioid addiction is a serious problem, you may still be wondering how you can help to prevent opioid addiction from occurring. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof method to preventing others from becoming addicted to opioids, but there are a few steps that you can take to help reduce the risk.
One way to reduce the risk of opioid addiction within your household is to always store your prescription medication in a safe and secure place. Simply storing them in your medicine cabinet is not enough to prevent others from taking the drugs. In addition, you should never share your prescription with someone else. In fact, more than half of those who misuse prescribed opioids obtained them from a friend or relative.
If you have unused opioids, you should never throw them in the trash. When disposing of leftover or expired prescription medications, you should always follow these steps:
- Remove the label containing your identifying information
- Check with your refuse removal providers to learn more about approved disposal options in your community
- Look for health care clinics or pharmacies with drop-off boxes or with drug disposal envelopes that you can seal and mail to an approved facility.
- Flush medication down the toilet or mix it with things such as kitty litter, coffee grounds or dirt before throwing away in the garbage.
By following all of these steps, you reduce the risk of opioids getting into the hands of those who are already addicted or who are susceptible to addiction. If you or a loved one is suffering from opioid addiction, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about how we can treat the addiction with a suboxone treatment program.