On Saturday, October 25, 2025, HC DrugFree’s Medication Collection site gathered 1,125 lbs of unwanted and expired medications for proper disposal, contributing to an impressive national total of 571,054 lbs (286 tons) on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Take Back Day. HC DrugFree also distributed 107 medication lock boxes to help families store medications securely and prevent misuse. Thank you to everyone who…
Don’t know what to do with your expired or leftover meds? Please join HC DrugFree in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot for our convenient twice-a-year drive-thru medication disposal event as a part of the DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day! All collected medications are guarded and transported by the Howard County Police and…
Register to attend our Fall 2025 Guiding Good Choices® classes for parents, guardians and grandparents. Series will run (Tuesdays and Thursdays): November 11, 13, 18, 20 and December 2 from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Raising preteens and teens is tough. Wouldn’t it be great if adults could take a class that taught us…
HC DrugFree teen volunteers attended Howard County’s 9th annual International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, August 31 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City. The event featured several community resources, a live demonstration of life-saving efforts including the use of Naloxone/Narcan, and a candlelight vigil. Between August 2024 to July 2025, there have been…
This summer, HC DrugFree is staying active across Howard County: meeting face-to-face with youth, parents, and local leaders to promote prevention, wellness, and safety. Our team has been busy attending community events, participating in youth leadership programs, and having important conversations about substance use prevention, mental health, and making safe, informed choices. As always, we…
HC DrugFree is excited to announce the successful completion of our 2025 Summer Life Skills classes! Over the past several weeks, middle and high school students came together online to learn, practice, and build the tools they need to make safe, healthy decisions throughout the school year. The Life Skills sessions focused on practical skills…
More information about future Life Skills and other classes and events will be shared in our newsletter. Quick Links: FREE! Life Skills Training for Grades 6-9 (and slightly younger/older). Also, looking for High School Student Assistants! Classes taught by HoCo-raised college students. We will consider students younger than 6th grade, especially if they are the sibling/friends…
Join us for our next Teen Advisory Council (TAC) meeting, to be held on Monday, June 9 at 5:30 via Zoom. If you are not already a TAC member, please visit our TAC webpage to learn more and submit your registration. If you are a member, please remember to register to receive the Zoom link.
Senior Week should be a celebratory, memorable time with friends—not a risk! With the right planning, it can be a safe and fun experience for everyone. Check out our recorded webinar for graduating high school seniors and their parents! https://www.hcdrugfree.org/senior-week/ The tips shared by Howard County teens, the Ocean City Police, and the Ocean City…
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, HC DrugFree’s Medication and Sharps Collection site gathered 1,359.5 lbs of unwanted and expired medications for proper disposal, contributing to an impressive national total of 620,321 lbs (310 tons) on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Take Back Day. In addition to the medications, community members dropped off large quantities of sharps for disposal, which were not weighed. HC…
