A majority of New Jerseyans are at least “somewhat” familiar with storage and disposal of opioids and other medications, and less than 3 in 10 report that they or a loved one has been prescribed an opioid as pain medication in the past two years, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll collaboration with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.
Forty-two percent of residents polled in December say they are very familiar with the proper guidelines to store and dispose of any form of medication, opioids and/or edibles in a household, 32 percent are somewhat familiar and 23 percent aren’t familiar; 2 percent are unsure.
“Sizeable familiarity with storage and disposal is likely due to state laws that require doctors to inform patients of the potential dangers of such medications and available alternatives, as well as PSAs from organizations like the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and the presence of drop boxes and other advertised disposable opportunities within communities,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. To read the full story.