Final DEA-Sponsored Take-back Event is TOMORROW

Tomorrow is the DEA's ninth (and final) drug-take-back day. Tyler Police will collect your leftover prescriptions at the CVS on Broadway and 5th from 10 am to 2 pm. UT Tyler's Police will also operate a box at the campus police station on Varsity Drive.

Common methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. Prescription drugs should be taken to a local police station or pharmacy to be properly disposed of.

Prescription drugs pose a serious problem; In 2012, 6.8 million American reported abusing prescription drugs (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013), and drug overdoses kill more Americans than firearms or motor vehicle accidents. Prescription drug abuse is the second most prevalent illicit drug problem in the U.S.  The survey also reveals that more than 13 million people, aged 12 or older, are current non-medical users of prescription drugs.

Cool new feature!

For those of you who showed interest in conducting some of the Alcohol-Retailer Surveys that I mentioned in Tuesday's meeting--they are our way of establishing some baseline data--I have added the forms to the right sidebar of the website.

I have also added both a list of retailers visited and made a really neat interactive map of all TABC-licensed retailers in Smith County. The red pins are the eight stores we have surveyed so far; the blue pins are the 120 left to survey!

I hope to update the map as more surveys are completed. In the future, I plan on using the map to track real, TABC Compliance Checks and separate out the retailers who pass from those which fail.

Thank you to all who came to Tuesday's meeting. Good things are coming!

There are plenty of alcohol retailers in Tyler...

ETSAC has a new Facebook Page!

And we need you to come visit it and LIKE it!

Click the photo to go to our page!

September meeting set for the 16th

East Texas Substance Abuse Coalition's September meeting is set for Tuesday, September 16. We will meet up at Villa Montez (3324 Old Henderson Highway, Tyler, TX 75707) from 11:30 until 1:00.

I will bring with me the updated Logic Model, built with some input from many of you, that I plan to turn in to the state. I will also share some of the exciting things that are going on in various communities and printed materials that our new Media Coordinator, Lauren, has developed.

I have reached out to a few people who I hope will join us and add to the conversation and effort; It should be a good meeting. Feel free to invite anyone who you feel might enjoy it, or who might help.

If it is your first meeting, lunch is on me.

See you all Tuesday!

Click on the photo for Villa Montez's Menu

National Suicide Prevention Week

Smith County has a 14.1 per 100,000 suicide rate, which is notably higher than the statewide rate of 10.99  per 100,000. That's not a huge number, but for those of us touched by suicide, there is nothing more tragic.

This week, September 8 through 14, is National Suicide Prevention Week. DSHS has a great presentation that teaches us how to engage the people we meet who may be considering suicide, and I was told they would be happy to come to schools, churches, etc., to train people. If you are interested, contact Dreka Strickland (Dreka DOT Strickland AT dshs DOT state DOT tx DOT us)

Here are some other great resources available for you:

• ASK about Suicide to Save a Life app for mobile devices can help you save a life with information about warning signs, how to ask and crisis lines, including 800-273-8255, the national Lifeline. 
• Coming Together to Care: Suicide Prevention and Postvention Toolkit for Texas Communities (PDF)
• Texas Suicide Prevention
• American Association of Suicidology 2014 Press and Information Kit (PDF)

 
 

Photo from Time Magazine--click photo to go to source.