The Pledge for Life Partnership, in collaboration with the Iroquois-Kankakee Regional Office of Education, was established in 1989 with the main goal of piecing together a safer and healthier community. To continue their mission, the Partnership was recently awarded Kankakee County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds totaling $10,000. Funds will be used to purchase Prescription Drug Lock Boxes – a combination lock medicine caps and bottle locks.
“Through the Life Education Center, the Pledge for Life Partnership annually helps more than 10,000 youth make healthy lifestyle choices. The Life Education Center works hard to promote safe medicine practices,” said Life Education Center Director Brenda Wetzel.
Currently, the Pledge for Life Partnership partners with local law enforcement, takes part in Prescription Drug Take Back Day twice a year, provides brochures to the community on local prescription drug drop box locations and has an ongoing communication initiative that promotes the safe disposal of medication.
“The ARPA funds give us another way to combat prescription drug misuse in our community,” said Wetzel.
The amount of prescription drugs has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pledge for Life Partnership aims to continue their mission of keeping prescription drugs safe in the home.
“Locking up or securing prescription drugs could be the single most effective way to prevent poisonings resulting in overdose, medicine theft and misuse that could lead to prescription drug addiction or suicide,” said Pledge for LIfe Partnership Drug Free Communities Grant Project Coordinator Jim Schreiner. “A locking storage option benefits the health and well-being of the entire family and keeps medicines out of the hands of small children and teens – reducing the risk of overdose or Rx drug abuse.”
For more information, visit http://pledgeforlife.org/ or https://www.k3county.net/kcr3.html.