The Leeward Initiative

10/21/2026

Have unused or expired medications? Dispose of them safely!

Did you know the Ludington Police Department has a medication drop-off container conveniently located in our lobby?

Through the Big Red Barrel Project, community members can safely dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. Proper disposal helps prevent accidental poisonings, medication misuse, and environmental contamination.

We've already collected over 100 pounds of unwanted medications this year! That's over 100 pounds of medications safely collected and kept out of the wrong hands.

✅ Accepted Items & Disposal Instructions:

Pills, Capsules & Tablets: Remove medications from their original containers or punch cards and place them in a sealed zip-lock bag.

Liquid Medications: Pour liquids into a zip-lock bag containing enough paper towels to absorb the liquid, then seal the bag. Do not mix different liquids in the same bag.

Creams: Squeeze creams onto paper towels inside a zip-lock bag and seal the bag.

🚫 Items NOT Accepted:

Needles or other sharps

Pressurized devices, including inhalers

Glass containers

Drug paraphernalia

Trash or non-medication items

⚠️ Please Note: Medication bottles, packaging, tubes, and jars should be disposed of separately and NOT placed in the drop-off container.

📍 Location: Ludington Police Department
408 S. Harrison Street, Ludington

🕗 Lobby Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Closed for a 30-minute lunch break)

A safer community starts with simple steps! Take a few minutes to clean out your medicine cabinet and help keep unused medications out of the wrong hands. 💙

10/21/2026

A newly identified synthetic opioid, cychlorphine, has been detected in counterfeit pills, raising concerns about the evolving risks within the illicit drug supply.

As new substances emerge, staying informed can help communities, prevention professionals and public health leaders better understand potential threats and support prevention efforts.

Learn more about cychlorphine and its presence in counterfeit pills: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addiction-outlook/202610/cychlorphine-is-a-new-opioid-hidden-in-counterfeit-pills

09/29/2026

A month of awareness, remembrance, recovery, and hope. 💜As September comes to a close and we wrap up National Recovery Month, we’re taking a moment to look back and say THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our first International Overdose Awareness Day event on August 31 such a meaningful part of the work we do at the Leeward initiative.

While International Overdose Awareness Day has passed, the message behind the day continues far beyond August. We gathered to remember those we have lost, recognize those with lived and living experience, connect our community with local resources, and remind one another that prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery all have a place in our community.

Our first event may have been a small beginning, but it was an important step in continuing the conversation, and The Leeward Initiative Coalition is excited to keep that conversation going.

A special thank you to all of our community partners, speakers, volunteers, Coalition members, and everyone who came out to share, listen, learn, remember, and support one another. We were reminded that meaningful change happens when our community works together! 

COVE (Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters)
West Michigan Community Mental Health System
The HOPE Project
Staircase Youth Services Mason County
District Health Department #10

09/22/2026

Great info!

PARENTS - PLEASE TAKE TIME TO LOOK THROUGH THIS INFORMATION. (This is all available at numerous stores in Oceana County.)

There is a product on local shelves that acts like an opioid, and Michigan has no age limit on it

You may have seen products labeled 7-OH, short for 7-hydroxymitragynine, in gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores. They are sold as tablets, gummies, shots and flavored drink mixes, usually for about $4 a serving.

Here is what most people do not realize. 7-OH is not the same as kratom leaf. It is one alkaloid from the kratom plant, concentrated far above what occurs in the plant itself, and it acts on the same receptors in the brain that opioids act on. People who take it daily can become dependent, and many do not understand what they have been taking until they try to stop.

Michigan currently has no law restricting these products. No minimum age, and no limit on how concentrated they can be. A bill to ban their sale passed the Michigan House in March and has not become law.

The packaging does not look like a drug. It looks like an energy or focus supplement, and the name 7-OH or 7-hydroxymitragynine often appears only in the ingredient list.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration describes these as novel potent opioid products that have not been proven safe for any use, and lists dependence, withdrawal, insomnia and seizures among reported effects.

Parents, it is worth knowing what the packaging looks like.

A full guide covering what 7-OH is, how it is sold, and what dependence and withdrawal look like is in the comments.

09/02/2026

💜 We want to hear from you!

We’d love your feedback on the topic of substance use and prevention in our community.

The first few questions are about the recent event, but you can still complete the survey even if you weren’t able to attend! The last few questions are about your general thoughts, knowledge, and feedback on the topic.

📲 Scan the QR code or use the link below to share your thoughts:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/mmXzr3HdSj

Thank you for taking a few minutes to help us better understand our community and plan future education and prevention efforts!

09/02/2026

Thank you to the Ludington Daily News for the coverage!!

LUDINGTON — From powerful testimonies of overcoming addiction and loved ones remembering those they lost to information about how people can get the help and resources they need, the message

08/31/2026

We are so happy to be hosting our own event today!!

Today on International Overdose Awareness Day, we stand together across the globe declaring it's time for change. We are showing up, speaking up, and saying loudly - let's end overdose! 💜

08/21/2026

Monday August 31st from 4:00pm-6:00pm at Waterfront Park, stop by our event in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day to hear some great speakers, discover resources around your community, and expand your knowledge in overdose awareness, prevention, and recovery work. Find the event on our page!
Hope to see you all there!

08/11/2026

Come visit us at the Fair this week!

07/21/2026

Join us on July 22 at the Ludington Area Jaycees' for a free mini golf event for students! ⛳Open to Mason and Ocean County children ages 4-15

For more information contact 231.845.5455.