The Chatham Borough Police Department , the Municipal Alliance Committee of the Chathams (MACC),  the Mayor's Office and Liberty Drug  , will be coordinating the American Medicine Chest Challenge in Chatham.

The event will take place on November 13, 2010 in communities across the country. This initiative will challenge Chatham residents to take the Five-Step American Medicine Chest Challenge:

• Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine.
• Lock your medicine chest.
• Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine in your home or at an American Medicine Chest Challenge Disposal site.
• Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.
• Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

To help combat this growing threat to our nation's children, Chatham is hosting the American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC) on November 13, 2010 from 10am -2pm at Liberty Drug & Surgical, 195 Main Street, Chatham.

Residents can find other collection sites on www.americanmedicinechestchallenge.com or dispose of their medicine at home, following the guidelines on the site.

The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows prescription medicines to be the most abused drugs by Americans, other than marijuana and found that 70% of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives. A recent study on drug use by of teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA) found that one in 9 children are abusing prescription pain relievers to get high.

"This Challenge will raise awareness about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and reduce the availability of potent drugs that lead kids down a path to addiction,'' explained American Medicine Chest Challenge Chief Executive Officer Angelo M. Valente.

"With the American Medicine Chest Challenge we are calling on residents to see their medicine cabinets through new eyes -- as an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine by young people," explained Valente.

Al Brown, Registered Pharmacist and owner of Liberty Drug offered to be a collection point again this year.  "I'm delighted to be part of this program now that a legal way of disposing unwanted and unused medicines has been found.  This is one of the best ways to prevent  medicine from getting into the hands of our children."

The American Medicine Chest Challenge has gained the national support of PhRMA, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the American College of Emergency Physicians.