Partnership plans Medication Take Back, community forum

MADISON – In its work to combat substance abuse in Madison, Partnership for a Drug-Free Community has scheduled a special day to retrieve medications that individuals no longer need and a public forum.

Opportunities to learn about addiction treatment options and disposal of expired prescription drugs are available this week from Partnership, Executive Director Wendy Reeves said.

The Medication Take Back in Madison on April 22 will run from 9 a.m. to noon. For residents’ convenience, a drive-through, drop-off lane at Madison City Hall, 100 Hughes Road will be available.

“It’s time to clean out the medicine cabinet for the next community Medication Take-Back event set for Saturday, April 22,” Reeves said. “Removing medications that are no longer needed can help prevent misuse or theft.”

The take-back allows anyone to help make an impact on the opioid epidemic in Madison County, Reeves said.

In addition, Partnership offers free, safe kits for drug disposal. To distribute the kits, Partnership collaborates with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America or CADCA, LEIDOS, Wellstone and Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Workers hand out kits at community outreach events, and the Partnership staff at 256-539-7339 will provide kits any time.

“More than 33,000 pounds of outdated or unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications have been collected at community take-back events since area law enforcement began the effort in September 2010,” Reeves said.

Also on April 22, Medication Take Back events will be conducted at Huntsville Public Safety Complex, 815 Wheeler Ave. in the parking lot across the street and at CVS pharmacy in Meridianville, 12275 U.S. 231.

Also this week, the final community forum on “What is treatment?” will be presented in Madison on April 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Madison Public Library,142 Plaza Blvd.

“One reason we started the Recovery Resource Hub was because people were spending countless, frustrating hours on the phone and Internet trying to find a place for treatment,” Reeves said. “This can be a very complicated process, especially for someone who doesn’t understand how treatment works. There’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

“With fentanyl hitting our community so hard, it will be helpful to explain that there are many different types of treatment settings,” Reeves said.

The address of Partnership for a Drug-Free Community and its One-Stop Shop of Community Services is 2201 Clinton Ave. W. in Huntsville. For more information, call 256-539-7339, email wendy@thedrugfreepartnership.org or visit partnershipforadrug-freecommunity.org.