Thurston County

Opioids and Teens

Want to help prevent opioid use and addiction in our community? Some simple steps can help.

1. Talk with the people you care about.

Have a conversation about preventing drug misuse and overdose. Talking with young people you care about is important. But also talk with your friends and family. Addressing the risk of drug misuse is a conversation to have with all those you love and care about.

Some resources that can help the conversation.

2. Talk with your health care provider about it.

Opioid-based medications can be useful for pain management, especially after surgery. But there are also other options to manage pain. Opioids are not always needed. People should talk with their provider about all options.

Some resources that can be helpful:

3. Store and dispose of medications safely.

When you do have medications in your home, keep them stored safely.

Keep medications in their original containers with caps on.
Kids are curious, keep medicine out of reach. Store in a locked location or box.
Avoid storing medicine in the bathroom, kitchen, purse or other visible places.
Carefully, keeping track of your medications and storing them safely, protects the people you love.

If you have old medications that you no longer need, dispose of them safely. The best way to dispose of them is to put them in a medication drop box.

Check out this list for the places you can go in Thurston County. www.thurstonmedicationtakeback.org
Other places in the area that you can dispose of medications can be found at the Med-Project.

4. Learn more!

Opioids are a class of drugs, some are prescribed and some are not. Learn more.
Not sure when you should be worried about teen substance use. Learn more.
Some parenting skills are more effective in preventing drug use among teens. Learn more.
Hearing about fentanyl? Get fact-based information. Learn more.

Community Overdose Education and Naloxone Rescue Kit Trainings

For more information, contact Mary Ann O'Garro at 360-867-2525 or mary.ann.ogarro@co.thurston.wa.us

Interested in becoming more involved in substance use prevention in Thurston County? Connect with a local substance use prevention coalition.

Learn more about Opioid Use Disorder and the local Opioid Response.

Still have questions?

Contact Kateri Wimsett at kateri.wimsett@co.thurston.wa.us

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