Do you know how to safely handle, store, and dispose of lethal means? If not, it’s possible that some of these means might just be sitting inside of your medicine cabinet or beside your bed. Roughly two-thirds of the population take at least one prescription medication daily and over one-third of households in Virginia own firearms. Then comes the terrifying statistic that 58% of suicides in Virginia involve a firearm. That’s where Lock & Talk comes in.
Lock & Talk is a suicide prevention initiative designed in May of 2016 by Prevention Professionals right here in Virginia. Now, the mission is implemented by Community Services Boards throughout the entire state. Its purpose is to prevent suicides by limiting access to lethal means such as firearms or medication and promote awareness surrounding mental health and the warning signs of suicide. It also encourages trainings in suicide/mental health awareness such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) or safeTALK, both of which are offered for free by the Eastern Shore Community Services Board (ESCSB).
The ESCSB offers trainings and presentations to provide further education about Lock & Talk. At these events, we provide safety devices like lock boxes for proper storage of medications and firearms, cable and trigger locks for firearms, and drug deactivation kits for the safe disposal of unwanted or unused medications.
The US DEA supports this effort through its National Drug Take Back Day. Improper disposal of medications can cause a potential threat to other humans, animals, or our water supply. In partnership with the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office and the ESCSB, Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital will host a medication collection and disposal event on-site at the hospital on April 25 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be representatives from the ESCSB to provide more information and resources regarding Lock & Talk and safety devices for at-home use. Riverside will collect any unwanted medications during the event for safe disposal.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For more information on the programs and services offered by the ESCSB, including FREE community-based trainings, please visit escsb.org.