Oregon Building and Construction Trades Council (OSBCTC) has partnered with more than a dozen local, state, and national organizations in an effort to find solutions and share best practices for prevention, treatment and recovery related to prescription drug misuse.
The RX Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Oregon announced its launch Oct. 1 at the Northeast Portland union hall shared by Bricklayers Local 1 and Cement Masons Local 555. A major focus of the launch was the importance of educating consumers about properly disposing of unused prescription medications. Experts say this is one of the keys to stopping misuse, which in turn helps prevent addiction.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 530 Oregon residents died from drug overdose in 2017 — many of those related to illegal opioids like fentanyl and heroin. Overdose rates continue to climb across the country.
Too often, addiction to illegal opioids begins with misuse of prescription medications.
“One of our primary missions is to ensure the health and safety of our members and their families,” said Robert Camarillo, OSBCTC executive secretary. “We are taking a proactive approach to fighting the opioid epidemic by providing our workers with the support and resources they need to break free from addiction.”
RALI Oregon’s safe disposal efforts helps educate consumers about common ways to safely dispose of unused medications, including using everyday household items or specialized drug disposal pouches. Through this initiative, RALI partners will distribute pouches to residents across the state.