Safely disposing of prescriptions and medication is as important a habit as wearing a seatbelt or helmet, proposes a new campaign. Substance Canada’s “Together for Safer Homes” initiative encourages Canadians to securely store and properly dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Spokespeople from the charity worked to educate the public by setting up at Rexall locations in Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto on Tuesday. The pharmacy chain disposes medication year round. “So many of us have prescription medications in our home … left over from surgery, expired prescriptions, or something half finished. Clearing them out is a habit worth building,” outreach officer Sarah Kheman told CTV News Edmonton. She said Substance Canada hopes to help families make healthier choices about drugs and have easier conversations with youth about drug use prevention and harm reduction. According to a national survey, use of prescription medication for non-recommended purposes by Grade 7-12 students rose from four per cent in 2014-15 to eight per cent in 2023-24. This rate was higher amongst older students and in rural areas. Roughly one third of students reported it would be easy to obtain pain relief medication, ADHD medication or sedatives. All licensed pharmacies in Alberta are required to accept unused or expired drugs, biomedical waste, and needles or other sharps for safe disposal, unless the material poses a health risk or hazard to staff. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein
