National Prescription Drug Take Back Day highlights drug addiction prevention
Law enforcement agencies are highlighting drug addiction prevention as National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is set to begin on October 27.
Staff members at the Genesis House, a residential treatment program in Seaside, say many of the people being treated there have stated during intake that their drug addiction began when they would raid a family member’s medicine cabinet.
A recovering drug addict noticed this as well. He recalls his days battling a drug addiction which started as a teenager.
By the time I was 16 I was doing cocaine and methamphetamine,” says Oscar Sandoval. “Then by the time I was 18 I realized I had a problem.”
Sandoval’s road to recovery didn’t begin until he was 28.
Before then he says he was in and out of jail and living on the streets.
On the day he finally went to get treatment for his drug addiction, he had one shoe on but was ready to make a change in his life.
“Now I’m a father of a three and a half year old and she’s never seen me under the influence. So that’s probably the biggest gift I’ve gotten out of recovery is breaking out of this cycle of addiction in my family,” Sandoval says.
Staff members at the Genesis Residential Treatment program in Seaside say most of the patients they see started their drug addiction at a young age.
It’s then they would go through a family member’s medicine cabinet
“These folks they’re suffering in their addiction,” says Genesis House staff member Marta Sullivan. “They have an illness that’s not often treated like an illness.”
Each addict who walks through the doors of the Genesis House is someone Sandoval says he feels he can relate to. His path to drug addiction may have started differently but he can understand what they’re going through.
“It really doesn’t matter where the person begins this illness,” Sandoval says. “What matters is how they deal with it. And if they can’t get out of it then they’re trapped and there’s something I can relate to.”
Sandoval describes drug addiction as being trapped in a prison. But now, at 39 years old, he has gotten better and is trying to break others free.
“When I see somebody coming in like that I just sit back and ask myself if they’ll get it or not. But I’m here to help because somebody did that for me.”
Sandoval is looking into a nursing program at this time as his recovery continues.
He urges those who have to dispose of prescription drugs to do so accordingly.
Seaside Police agree as well. Deputy Chief Judy Veloz/Seaside Police Department says “it’s a safer responsible way of disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs.” She continues to say “it keeps them out of the hands out children primarily and maybe out of the hands of people that are addicted.”
Meanwhile, various Central Coast agencies are asking for unused or expired prescription drugs.
Scroll down for the list of sites for unused or expired prescription disposals:*
MONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
PRUNETREE SHOPPING CENTER
PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF CVS/PHARMACY CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL- MONTEREY OFFICE
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL
MONTEREY OFFICE MARINA POLICE DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING SEASIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT
SEASIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY POLICE
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY POLICE MONTEREY POLICE DEPARTMENT
MONTEREY POLICE DEPARTMENT GONZALES POLICE DEPARTMENT
GONZALES POLICE DEPARTMENT PACIFIC GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PACIFIC GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT MORGAN HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT
MORGAN HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT CARMEL POLICE DEPARTMENT
CARMEL POLICE DEPARTMENT MONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
BANK OF AMERICA
PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF THE BANK HOLLISTER POLICE DEPARTMENT
TARGET
PARKING LOT
*Note, all times are from 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday October 27
