Over fifty engaged parents and students attended the Community of Concern dinner at Francis Hammond Middle School. Attendees listened to a presentation on the effects of alcohol on the growing teen brain. Then they discussed scenarios such as, Parents, what do you do if your child is invited to a party where there may be underage drinking? Students, what do you want your parents to say to you in that situation? One parent commented, "I learned how I can be a better listener to my daughter."

SAPCA members invited TC students to spin the prize wheel at lunch times during the last week of April. In order to win a prize, students had to answer questions such as, "At what age is the human brain fully developed?" The answer is age 25! Over 400 students visited the table and learned about the dangers of underage drinking.

If you work with youth and would like to host a wreckED presentation, contact Noraine at   noraine.buttar@alexandriava.gov.

The Alexandria Police Department and the Alexandria Sheriff's Office, in partnership with SAPCA, collected 227 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at the fourth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10am to 2pm.

Over 5000 collections sites nationwide participated in the fourth take back day program and over 3,150 pounds were collected in the Northern Virginia area alone.  In Alexandria, residents dropped off unused prescription medications at three drop sites in the City: Police Headquarters, the George Washington Masonic Memorial and the Del Ray Pharmacy. The service was free and anonymous. 

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.