On Monday, May 11th, Leidos, a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Dynetics, teamed-up with CADCA, the Alabama Department of Mental Health and WellStone Behavioral Health to help prevent substance misuse during Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Prevention Week.
National Prevention Week is an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about substance abuse, prevention and positive mental health. This year’s kick-off theme was, “Preventing Prescription Drug and Opioid Misuse.”
In order to help SAMHSA’s efforts in the local Huntsville, Alabama community, Leidos and CADCA collaborated with the Alabama Department of Mental Health and WellStone Behavioral Health to distribute 19,600 prescription drug disposal pouches to approximately twenty community organizations. The prescription drug disposal pouches are designed help limit the consequences of prescription drug misuse by allowing people to safely destroy their unused prescription drugs at home.
The topic of addiction is uncomfortable, but prevention efforts are needed now more than ever. Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows that people in recovery for substance use disorders are more likely to struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) states that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time began by using a prescription drug for non-medical purposes.
Leidos is working to make Alabama safer, healthier and more efficient through its statewide presence. This initiative stems from Leidos’ recent acquisition of Huntsville-based Dynetics. As part of the acquisition, Leidos pledged $100,000 to bring its anti-opioid campaign to the region. Through the program, Leidos hopes to keep nearly one million pills off the streets.
By distributing the pouches to community organizations throughout Huntsville, Leidos, the Alabama Department of Mental Health, CADCA, and WellStone Behavioral Health are eager to make prevention efforts accessible to all community members.
