The 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment identified alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) to be Burnett County’s most significant health need. Burnett Medical Center (BMC) is addressing it by partnering with local law enforcement and by implementing a vape disposal box.
 
Every April and October, BMC participates in Wisconsin’s Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative with local law enforcement. The goal is to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal of prescription medications, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of these medications. Unused prescription medications in homes create a public health and safety concern because they can be accidentally ingested, stolen, misused, and abused. According to the most recent Burnett County Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, 29.2% of middle school students use prescription drugs without a prescription.
 
BMC will also be implementing a vape disposal kit for our local community to utilize. The kit will contain a locked drop box for vapes to be placed in, gloves for proper handling when emptying, plastic zip block bags for placement in lock box, quit resources for youth and adults, a biohazard bag, and a prepaid shipping box to send the vapes in for proper disposal. Tobacco uses such as cigarettes and smokeless tobacco is decreasing among adults and high school youth. However, E-Cigarettes with high school youth is becoming a concern in Burnett County. According to the Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey, in 2020, the percentage of high school youth using E-Cigarettes is 21% which is significantly higher than 1.9% in 2012.
 
By working to address this health need, BMC is helping to alleviate this statewide challenge. BMC’s hope is to be a resource for the community and ultimately make the community a healthier place to live.