Health

NSC Launches Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Week

June 4, 2010

On June 2, the National Safety Council (NSC) today launched its Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Week during National Safety Month, an annual observance to increase education about the top causes of preventable injuries and deaths in June.

Laura Walter

Unintentional drug overdoses are one of the fastest-rising causes of death, occurring mostly among adults ages 25 to 44. Each year, an estimated 25,000 deaths occur from unintentional overdoses of over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs. A majority of these deaths are from the misuse of prescription drugs, including oxycodone, methadone and hydrocodone.

NSC offered the following poison prevention tips for adults and children:

Always follow the recommended dosage prescribed by your doctor.
Tell all doctors about medications prescribed by other doctors.
Don’t share medications.
Use child-resistant caps to protect children.
Dispose of any unused or expired medications.

NSC has additional downloadable materials to help stop prescription drug overdoses, including posters, tip sheets and more. For more information, visit http://nsc.org/nsm.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.