San Diego County 2014

Keep Kids Safe Program

San Diego County leaders come together to address prescription drug misuse and abuse.

The Safe Homes Coalition is proud to join with the San Diego Association of Realtors®, Millennium Health, Mental Health Systems North Inland Community Prevention Program, Hope Together Foundation, and other partners to launch the inaugural Keep Kids Safe Education Program. Together, this powerful coalition of stakeholders is united toward the mission of reducing overdose death associated with the misuse and abuse of prescription medications in Greater Boston and throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

With one of the highest rates of narcotic abuse and a significant portion of drug overdoses related to prescription drugs, California has a particular need for a multi-faceted approach to this complex crisis. This is why public safety leaders such as San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore, the healthcare community, recovery advocates, and so many others have come together in this Keep Kids Safe Program to encourage you to make your house a safe home through safe use, safe storage, and safe disposal of prescription medications.

Be a part of the solution. Support the Safe Homes Coalition Keep Kids Safe Program by asking a coalition member for a re-sealable plastic bag in which to place your medications.

The Safe Homes Coalition Keep Kids Safe Program launched in San Diego County on March 11, 2014, and concluded on October 17th, 2014 with more than 10,000 bags distributed. This full length PSA provides information useful to individuals with prescription medications in their home – to keep them safe and secure, and to dispose of them properly when no longer needed.

A Special Thanks to Our Keep Kids Safe Program Partners

Gallery of Photos from San Diego Keep Kids Safe Program

Please Dispose of Unwanted Medications Safely and Securely

Many sheriff stations throughout San Diego County have prescription medication disposal boxes located in their lobby where you can safely and anonymously drop off unwanted, unused, or expired medications. For a list of these locations, please click on this link.

News

SUPERVISOR GASPAR TEAMS WITH SHERIFF GORE, SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS AND SAFE HOMES COALITION TO LAUNCH INNOVATIVE PROGRAM AIMED AT REDUCING ACCESS TO DANGEROUS OPIOIDS

April 6, 2019/in News, Press Release, San Diego /by Jason Farran

PRESS RELEASE

VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING HUNDREDS OF BAGS FOR SAFE DISPOSAL OF OLD AND UNUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

To counter the rising number of opioid deaths, Saturday, Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, Sheriff Bill Gore, Safe Homes Coalition and the San Diego Association of REALTORS kicked off the “Keep Kids Safe” program.

For the 4^thyear in a row, the number of San Diegans who died from unintentional drug-related deaths went up. According to the San Diego County Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force, 273 people died in 2017. And 4 in 10 teens who have misused or abused a prescription drug say they stole it from their parent’s medicine cabinet.

“As a parent of three children, this terrifies me,” said Supervisor Gaspar. “That’s why I contributed $100,000 of District 3 funds to help launch the “Keep Kids Safe” program and make every parent aware of the silent danger that may be sitting in their medicine cabinet.” CEO of Safe Homes Coalition Scott Silverman said, “Prescription drug abuse is a critical and complex public health issue that impacts millions of Americans. Together, we can keep these addictive medications out of the hands of children and save lives”.

More than 150 real estate professionals went door-to-door around the county explaining how leaving unused prescription medications in their home can get into the wrong hands. They provided pre-paid, pre-addressed envelopes in which San Diegans can place unwanted prescriptions that will be shipped to a facility and incinerated.

Sheriff Gore said, “By making prescription drugs less accessible to our youth and those they are not prescribed for, we will help to reduce overdoses, deaths and many crimes occurring in our region.”

The hope is for San Diegans to be proactive and make prescription drugs less accessible to children.

Program partner American Medical Response said, “Our medics are witness to this crisis nearly every day and we must all join together to help tackle the drug problem we are seeing in our community.”

San Diego People: Opioid Crisis in San Diego

April 3, 2019/in News, San Diego /by Jason Farran

A nationwide epidemic is killing hundred of thousands of people across the United States every single year. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, opioid overdoses kill more then 130 people in the United States each day.

In San Diego County, overdose deaths from opioids have now surpassed every other kind of drug.

In the first segment of this San Diego People, County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, and Sheriff’s Lieutenant Karen Stoob-Care talked about the local impact of opioids and how the sheriff’s department is working to combat the crisis.

Later in the show we talked to Sue Harris, who lost her son to the opioid crisis, and the Executive Director of Safe Home Coalition Scott Silverman talked about things everyone can do to address a loved one who is suffering from addiction.

Last, Ennis Jackson, a paramedic, and Kevin Burke, the President of Greater San Diego Association of Realtors talked about the constant attention first responders are putting on the opioid crisis and how realtors are stepping in to help.

Watch here.

Amid Opioid Crisis, AMR Joins Initiative to Prevent Prescription Drug Misuse

April 3, 2019/in News, San Diego /by Jason Farran

American Medical Response responds to more than 200,000 emergency medical transports annually in San Diego County. In recent years, AMR has seen a growing number of overdoses associated with suspected opioid use, according to Madeleine Baudoin, AMR’s government and public affairs manager.

“AMR is committed to the health and safety of every resident. Decreasing the need for EMS through injury and illness prevention is an integral part of AMR’s commitment to community health,” Baudoin said. “AMR has set a goal to help reduce overdose deaths through prevention education.”

Full Story

Learning how to prevent drug abuse in teenagers

February 17, 2019/in News, San Diego /by Jason Farran

SAN DIEGO (KUSI)- According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of all Americans have a family member or friend who is, or who has been addicted to drugs. Teens and young adults are more susceptible and as a parent, it’s easier to prevent an addiction from forming at the early stages. President and CEO of Confirm Biosciences, Zeynep Ilgaz, joined us this morning to talk more about how teen drug abuse can be prevented.

Watch KUSI Story

Opioid epidemic is reducing life expectancy

February 7, 2019/in News, San Diego /by Jason Farran

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The CDC recently lowered Americans’ life expectancy for the first time do to deaths from opioids.

CEO and founder of Confidential Recovery Scott Silverman stopped by Good Morning San Diego to discuss the growing issue.

Watch KUSI Story

NEW COALITION TACKLING RX DRUG PROBLEM

Initial focus is thefts at real estate open houses

Cutline: Leslie Kilpatrick, Board President of the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®, holds one of 10,000 plastic bags the Safe Homes Coalition produced and plans to distribute through seven REALTOR® service centers across San Diego County.

San Diego (March 11, 2014)—The Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR), local nonprofits and businesses, and other partners announced Tuesday the formation of the Safe Homes Coalition that will inform people about the proper use, storage and disposal of prescription drugs.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore voiced strong support for the coalition, which representatives said was a response to reports of prescription drug thefts during real estate open houses.

“The reports of people removing prescription medications from open houses made it apparent that real estate professionals can be the first line of defense in preventing thefts of these medications,” Gore said.

The region’s 12,000-plus REALTORS® will play a key role in a multi-faceted coalition campaign designed to raise awareness of and help combat the problem.

Millennium Laboratories, nonprofit Mental Health Systems, its North Inland Community Prevention Program, Oakwood Escrow, nonprofit Hope2Gether Foundation, and the San Diego County Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force are the coalition’s other founding members.

The group shared this Public Service Announcement (PSA), a shorter version of which will be aired on local television and radio stations. The coalition also plans to distribute 10,000 plastic bags through seven REALTOR® service centers across San Diego County.

REALTORS® will be encouraged to ask clients to use the bags to remove prescription drugs from their homes before they are opened to prospective buyers.

Outreach via presentations and materials to real estate professionals and a Facebook page with information about prescription drug abuse and ways to counter it are also part of the campaign.

The campaign will highlight proper disposal options for prescription medications. Those include national Take Back Days like the one scheduled for April 26, and drop boxes that are available year-round at every sheriff station, at the County Administration Building, and at multiple police stations throughout county.

“Prescription drug abuse is the leading cause of unintended deaths in San Diego County,” Dumanis said. “That’s why we need as many groups as possible working to curtail abuse and misuse. I commend the work of the Safe Homes Coalition in their effort to limit illicit access to prescription drugs.”

Although the coalition’s initial focus is San Diego County, the group plans to expand its campaign through collaborations in targeted communities throughout California, and across the United States.

To view the Safe Homes Coalition’s PSA go to: bit.ly/safehomesPSA. The coalition’s Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/safehomescoalition.

CONTACT: Andrea Moss, Media Specialist

North Inland Community Prevention Program

Cell: (858) 395-3340 | amoss@mhsinc.org

Event Calendar

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Additional Resources

The Parent Talk Kit

Tips for Talking and What to Say to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse provides guidance on starting a conversation, what to say and how to answer tough questions.

Get the Parent Talk Kit »

Concerned Citizens

Resources for those who may want to initiate a discussion, including healthcare workers, educators and communities and law enforcement.

Visit the Medicine Abuse Project »

Parents and Grandparents

Resources on how to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, over-the-counter medicines and more.

Info for Parents and Grandparents »

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The Safe Homes Coalition originally launched in San Diego, CA and we’re always looking for partners to expand the Keep Kids Safe program across the United States. Help your community stay safe!

Join the Keep Kids Safe Program

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