Contact the Poison Center right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine, vitamin, or supplement.
Call 1800-222-1222, text POISON to 85511, or chat online.
Prescription Medications
According to the 2025 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 91.5% of Maine High School students reported having never used prescription pain medicine without a doctor’s prescription or differently than doctor instruction.
Store your medications “Up & Away”
- Find a place in your home that is too high for children to reach or see to keep your medicines, vitamins, supplements (especially those in gummy form) up and away, even between doses.
- Make sure that medicines carried with you are also kept out of sight and reach of young children.
- Never leave loose pills or liquid medications out on a counter, table, or bedside.
- At home or away, keep medicines in their original, child resistant containers.
- Teach your child about medicine safety.
Visit upandaway.org to learn more about safe medication storage.
DEA National RX Takeback
These days are held twice per year, usually in April and October.
Unused and unwanted medications are collected at local sites from 10 AM – 2 PM.
Use the “Find Site” button to locate a Take Back Day location near you!
Big Green Box
Properly disposing of old/unused medications helps to prevent youth from misusing prescriptions.
Safely dispose of unused/unwanted/expired medications at a “Big Green Box” located in the lobby of local law enforcement agencies. These are available 24 hours a day.
Locations include:
- Bath Police Department – 250 Water Street
- Brunswick Police Department – 85 Pleasant Street
- Richmond Police Department – 26 Gardiner Street
- Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office – 752 High Street, Bath
- Topsham Public Safety Building – 100 Main Street
Additional Resources
Visit Eyes Open for ME for more information on prescription medications, safe storage and disposal, and youth misuse.
Visit the Up & Away Resources page for more information on how to safely store medicines, vitamins and supplements. There are also tips to share with grandparents, for travelling, and a downloadable coloring book!
Information & Resources
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