Prescription drug abuse by South County teens has been a hot topic lately thanks to the documentary Behind the Orange Curtain making its world premiere May 2 at the Newport Beach Film Festival and, due to a sell out, getting a second showing May 3 in the huge Big Newport theater.
That makes a couple other looming events all the more timely, one that's tonight in San Clemente and another at various Orange County locations Saturday.
]
First, at 7 tonight, the Community Resource Center of San Clemente, which is in the lower level of San
Clemente Presbyterian Church at 119 N. Avenida de la Estrella, hosts a free “Generation
Rx” workshop for parents who want to learn more about prescription medication misuse and abuse.
For instance, Behind the Orange Curtain shows a fire official explaining some kids who swipe and trade for meds are unaware that a particular pill they are downing may be deadly if consumed with alcohol. Health educator Margo Finlayson leads Generation Rx, which is based on an Ohio State University College of Pharmacy program. Handouts will be dispersed. See if any seats are left by emailing in**@cr***.org or calling 949.365.2181.
Also in Behind the Orange Curtain, Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Desert) mentions that the Drug Enforcement Administration's collection of nearly 1 million tons of drugs through the past two National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days is evidence America's got a pill problem. Why, the congresswoman asks, are so many medications being prescribed that people return so many?
The third annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is coordinated with local law enforcement agencies, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Prescription drugs can be dropped off at select locations, no questions asked. Check with your city hall or police department to see where the local drop-off location is as new spots are being added daily.
[
According to the Prescription Drug Take Back Day locator, previously announced points include:
- (Aliso Viejo) Orange County Sheriff's Department, South Operations Substation, 11 Journey
- Anaheim Police Department, 425 S. Harbor Blvd.
- Buena Park Police Department, 6640 Beach Blvd.
- Buena Park Senior Center, 8150 Knott Ave.
- Costa Mesa Police Department, 99 Fair Dr.
- Cypress Police Department, 5275 Orange Ave.
- Fountain Valley Police Department, 10200 Slater Ave.
- Fullerton Police Department, 237 W. Commonwealth Ave.
- Garden Grove Police Department (front desk), 11301 Acacia Parkway
- Huntington Beach Police Department, 2000 Main St.
- Irvine Police Department, 1 Civic Center Plaza
- Laguna Beach School District parking lot, 550 Blumont Dr.
- Laguna Niguel City Hall, 30111 Crown Valley Parkway
- La Habra Police Department, 150 N. Euclid St.
- Mission Viejo City Hall, 200 Civic Center
- Orange Police Department, 360 E. Chapman Ave.
- Placentia Police Department, 401 E. Chapman Ave.
- San Clemente City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio
- San Juan Capistrano City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto
- (Santa Ana) Orange County Probation Department, 909 N. Main St.
- Seal Beach Police Department, 911 Seal Beach Blvd.
- (Tustin) Clifton C. Miller Community Center, 300 Centennial Way
- Westminster Police Department, 8200 Westminster Blvd.
- (Westminster) Orange County Probation Department, West County Field Services Office, 14180 Beach Blvd.
Previous coverage:
Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.