Meals on Wheels of Wake County Receives 1,400 Safe Drug Disposal Kits to Combat North Carolina’s Opioid Epidemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH, NC – The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) brings together leaders and community organizations committed to finding effective solutions to end addiction. RALI is working to address the misuse of prescription medicines, so that we can end the opioid crisis in North Carolina, and across the country.
Drug misuse affects too many North Carolinians, especially Wake County Residents. From 2013 to 2018, drug overdoses claimed the lives of 662 people in Wake County. Substance misuse prevention efforts are critical as COVID-19 continues to affect the Tar Heel State.
“RALI’s partnership with Meals on Wheels of Wake County helps to equip North Carolinians with important tools to fight prescription drug misuse.” Alan Winstead, Director of Meals on Wheels of Wake County said at a safe drug disposal event held Tuesday at the Meals on Wheels of Wake County office in Raleigh. Winstead continued, “Meals on Wheels regularly partners with our community leaders and elected officials, including Senator Thom Tillis whose office was instrumental in this partnership.”
“The opioid crisis has affected families and communities across the county, but our state has been especially hard-hit,” Sen. Thom Tillis said. “Local partners like Meals on Wheels of Wake County provide critical support to those who have been hit by the opioid crisis. Safe disposal is a crucial strategy for preventing addiction, saving lives, preventing substance misuse, and ending the opioid epidemic.”
RALI donated 1,400 safe drug disposal kits to Meals on Wheels of Wake County to encourage safe disposal of prescription medicines. “By donating these kits, RALI reaffirmed its commitment to ending the opioid crisis. By distributing safe disposal kits across Wake County, we encouraged residents to dispose of old or unused medications,” Winstead said. “As COVID-19 continues to affect North Carolinians, safe disposal is one of the best ways to prevent substance misuse in your own home.”
To learn more about RALI, safe disposal, and more visit www.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.
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