Program Makes It Easy to Dispose of Dangerous Substances

Six Clay County communities no longer have to wonder what to do with their unused or expired prescription drugs. Prescription drug drop boxes have been installed at the police departments in Excelsior Springs, Liberty, North Kansas City, Smithville and K.C. PD - Shoal Creek and North Patrol Divisions for community use. The boxes are located in the front lobby of each police station and are available for drop offs during normal police department hours.

Last year, more teens got high on prescription medicines than cocaine, meth and ecstasy combined.  They’re accessing these drugs in the comfort of home; it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer or medicine cabinet. According to the 2010 Missouri Student Survey, 8.1 percent of Clay County 9^th graders indicated that they had used Rx medications (in the past 30 days) that were not prescribed for them. Missouri’s statewide average of 6-12^th graders was 6.7 percent.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

October 29, 2011 is Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, with take-back events hosted nationwide by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). To help combat the alarming rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is hosting its third National Take-Back Day, an effort to collect potentially dangerous, expired, misused and unwanted prescription drugs for safe destruction at thousands of sites nationwide. The service is free and anonymous and will take place on Saturday, October 29, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. across the country.

Americans who participated in the DEA’s second National Prescription Drug Take-Back event on April 30 turned in more than 376,593 pounds (188 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at more than 5,300 take-back sites in all 50 states. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. However, with the availability of these six boxes, located across Clay County, people can now dispose of their unwanted medications during law enforcement department hours.  K.C. P.D. boxes at Shoal Creek and North Patrol, as well as Excelsior Springs, are open 24 hours a day, every day.

All drugs dropped in the boxes are completely anonymous. Simply drop your unused medications in the marked receptacle in the lobby and the police department will incinerate them per government recommendations. Funding and coordination for this project was provided by Tri-County Mental Health Services and the Northland Coalition.

For more information on the Northland Coalition and the community coalitions sponsoring these prescription drug drop boxes visit www.NorthlandCoalition.com.

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