March is Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and a local San Diego escrow company, Oakwood Escrow, is committed to curbing prescription drug abuse and the theft of prescription drugs from open houses.
Oakwood Escrow has been joined in their campaign by the Safe Homes Coalition to promote Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness month with the “Bag Campaign.” The Bag Campaign works by distributing plastic pouches to real estate agents to provide to their clients, encouraging homeowners to remove their prescription medications before an open house. In 2013, Oakwood Escrow’s launch of the Bag Campaign, in conjunction with Mental Health Systems and the Hope2gether Foundation, served as a tool to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse and to prevent theft of medicine from open houses.
Angie Stanley, the liaison for Oakwood Escrow to the Safe Homes Coalition, remarked, “We are excited that so many other influential organizations have committed to joining the fight against prescription drug theft and abuse. Together we can build a better community and a safer world.”
The San Diego County Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force reports that more than 1,200 people died of prescription medication abuse between 2008 and 2012. Last year, Oakwood Escrow partnered with Mental Health Systems and the Hope2gether Foundation in to raise awareness of this serious issue by reaching out to real estate agencies to educate their clients on the potential danger of prescription drug theft during open houses.
Oakwood Escrow has recently been joined by Millennium Laboratories, Mental Health Systems, The Greater San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR), The Ambassadors Foundation, The Hope2gether Foundation and San Diego County Prescription Task Force to form the Safe Homes Coalition. The Safe Homes Coalition has initiated an education and awareness program directed toward the more than 24,000 licensed real estate professionals in San Diego County, and more broadly to the community at large, to ensure that prescription medications are stored and disposed of safely. The Board of Supervisors of the County of San Diego have declared March 11, 2014 as Safe Homes Coalition Day in support of prescription medication abuse awareness and education.
Oakwood Escrow is passionate about giving back to the community and those in need. They believe that by giving back to others in need, they are able to build a better community and world. Together with the Safe Homes Coalition, Oakwood Escrow is committing to continuing to raise awareness of the issue of prescription drug abuse and make a substantial impact in reducing opportunities for drug theft in San Diego.
