Second Annual American Medicine Chest Challenge Calls for Nationwide Awakening to the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Second Annual American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC) was launched today, during a meeting will community partners and affiliates around the country. It will be held on November 12, 2011.

AMCC is a not-for-profit community based public health initiative, with law enforcement partnership, designed to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and provide a nationwide day of disposal – at a collection site or in the home - of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine.

AMCC currently has partners in hundreds of communities across the country in 44 states, Washington, DC, and two Indian Nations and is supported by PhRMA, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Partnership at DrugFree.Org.

"This Challenge will raise awareness about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and reduce the availability of potent drugs that lead kids down a path to addiction,'' explained AMCC Chief Executive Officer Angelo M. Valente. “With the AMCC we are calling on residents to see their medicine cabinets through new eyes -- as an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine by young people.”

He added, “The American Medicine Chest 5-step challenge will help save the lives of your children. The steps include taking inventory of your medicine, securing your medicine chest, take medicine only as prescribed by your doctor, dispose on unused, unwanted, and expired medicine, and most importantly, talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drugs.”

According to Valente, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers obtained them from friends or relatives, more than 6 million Americans used a prescription medication for nonmedical purposes in the past 30 days, emergency room visits involving the misuse or abuse of pharmaceutical drugs have doubled over the past five years and, there has been a 400% increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for people abusing prescription drugs.

The inaugural AMCC was held in November 2010 with over 500 community partners, in 37 states. It generated over $8 million dollars in media exposure on the issue of prescription drug abuse and resulted in the collection of over 10 tons of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine.