Nature Coast Technical High School in Brooksville and F.W. Springstead High School in Spring Hill, are among three Hernando County high schools taking part in a pilot program aimed at teaching parents and children the safe disposal of prescription medication. The program is slated to get underway at Hernando High School in Brooksville shortly.
A collaboration between the Hernando Community Coalition (HCC), an organization focused on reducing community problems stemming from alcohol and drug abuse, and DisposeRx, a North Carolina manufacturer of medication disposal packets, the pilot program will distribute disposal packets and education postcards at fall high school sporting events.
All three schools plan to distribute packets at winter and spring sporting events as well, said HCC Executive Director, Tresa Watson.
“We recognize that teenagers are often first introduced to opioids or other controlled substances either as a result of wisdom teeth removal or sports-related injuries,” Watson said. “This pilot program is a great way to engage and educate high school student athletes and their families about the risks associated with leaving medications in the home.”
The HCC will measure the success of the pilot by collecting data from parents through a postcard and QR code campaign.
The information that is collected will help HCC determine if and how the program will be put in place at other high schools in the county, Watson said.
