Eagle High, Saint Al’s Host Clean Cabinets, Clean Minds

Students at Eagle High School have partnered with Saint Alphonsus to help prevent prescription drug abuse by keeping prescription drugs out of students’ hands.

The Clean Cabinets, Clean Minds program was created to properly dispose of expired and/or unused over-the-counter and prescription medication of all types: pills, liquids, etc. Proper disposal of these medicines is beneficial to the environment and also ensures the medication doesn’t fall into the hands of Idaho students, according to Eagle High’s web site.

The project is being supported in part by the State Department of Education’s Coordinated School Health program. 

Eagle High was one of 10 schools to receive a $5,000 Coordinated School Health grant last year.

These grants give Idaho schools the resources and training they need to implement the Coordinated School Health model, which encourages schools to establish a school health team that works together to support and promote health with an emphasis on physical activity, nutrition and tobacco prevention.

The State Department of Education established a statewide Coordinated School Health team in 2008 with a federal grant. The team is made up of representatives from the Health Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Child Nutrition, Health and Welfare, and Physical Activity programs.

Here are all the organizations helping out with the Clean Cabinets, Clean Minds project: Eagle High School, Boise State Nursing Department, Eagle Home Depot, Ada County Sheriffs Office, Central District Health Department Community Health Division, Idaho State Department of Education, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Albertsons in Eagle, Joint School District #2, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

How can you help? Eagle High students are asking the community to bring any expired and/or unused medication to the Saint Alphonsus Eagle Health Plaza on Saturday, April 10 between 9 a.m. and noon so it can be disposed of properly. No ID is required to drop off either over-the-counter or prescription medication.

Learn more about Clean Cabinets, Clean Minds.

~ Melissa M.