4,000 safe drug disposal kits will be distributed to help those in the Arizona Drug Courts prevent substance misuse
Tucson, AZ – The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) today announced a donation of $3,000 and 4,000 safe disposal kits to help Tucson-area community individuals and families who are battling addiction, and are in need of tools to help combat opioid abuse.
RALI, an organization dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic throughout Arizona and across the country, partnered with the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona to bring these important disposal kits to the families in the area. As we continue to fight COVID-19, RALI and local partners are also continuing their fight against the opioid crisis and that starts with the proper disposal of prescription medicines as a critical preventative step.
“The pandemic has made fighting the opioid crisis in Arizona that much harder,” said Senator Mark Kelly. “It’s important that these resources are available to keep our friends and loved ones safe. I encourage everyone to take the steps to safely dispose of their unused prescription medications.”
“These kits can be used to deactivate and dispose of unused medications safely, which lowers the risk of misuse, addiction, and overdose,” said Liz Bradley, a Family and Recovery Support Specialist with the Brain Injury Alliance. “We know that many people, including about 70% of traumatic brain injury survivors, are discharged from the E.R. with an opioid prescription for pain. Opioids are highly addictive, and it can be very easy to build up a tolerance and take more than prescribed. We also want to protect others in the home, like children, teens, and people who struggle with substance misuse. We are pleased to be adding these disposal kits to our list of available resources, along with medication lock boxes and Naloxone opioid overdose reversal kits. Together with education, we can use these tools to prevent future brain injuries and deaths caused by opioid overdose.”
You can request a free safe drug disposal kit by filling out the Free Harm Reduction Tools request form HERE or by emailing info@BIAAZ.org. If you need any other information or resources after brain injury, visit BIAAZ.org or call us at 1 (888) 500-9165.
Funds received through this grant will be used to spread word to the community about the use and availability of these free kits, and to cover the cost of shipping these harm reduction tools to the people who need them.
Learn more about safe disposal and more ways to address the opioid epidemic at raliusa.org.
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The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) supports programs that help prevent the misuse of prescription medicines so that more lives can be saved from the opioid crisis. We do this by bringing together community leaders and elected officials who are committed to finding effective solutions and sharing ideas that will make a difference across the state.