Anyone Can Become Addicted. Rochester's NCADD on What Every Family Needs to Hear.

Most people picture addiction as something that happens to someone else. Jennifer Faringer, Director at DePaul's National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Rochester Area, joins the show to explain why prescription medications have made that assumption more dangerous than ever, and what every Rochester family can do right now to reduce the risk.Discover how the opioid crisis was fueled not by street drugs but by overprescribed pain medications, and how a legitimate post-surgery prescription can quietly become a pathway to dependence for everyday people with no history of substance use. Learn the critical difference between acute pain and chronic pain when it comes to medication risk, and why the conversation with your medical team about duration and alternatives matters more than most patients realize.Jennifer also addresses what to do when someone you love is ready for help, why the answer is right now and not tomorrow, and how Monroe County's Open Access program at Delphi Rise provides 24 hour assessment and referral for anyone who needs it. Recovery community resources including ROC Recovery and the CORE Center downtown are also available for those who are not yet ready for formal treatment.Unused medications sitting in your medicine cabinet are a risk not just to you but to everyone who enters your home, including children and visitors. Jennifer walks through two safe disposal options available locally including the Detour pouch for small quantities and Eco Park on Paul Road, which accepts any amount at no cost and no questions asked.Free harm reduction resources including safe medication lock boxes, disposal kits and Narcan are available through NCADD-RA at community health fairs throughout the region or by request at ncadd-ra.org.