Med drop box donated to DPD

By COREY NOLES

Statesman Staff Writer

Dexter residents will no longer have to wait until the next Drug Take Back event to get rid of their unwanted or unused prescription drugs.

Thanks to a donation from the SEMO Drug Task Force, the Dexter Police Department now has a permanent medication drop-off box in their front lobby.

Instead of waiting for the next scheduled event, such medications can now be dropped off any time of day, 365 days per year.

"This is really a big deal for us," Chief Sammy Stone said, adding that they receive a good response every time they host a Drug Take Back event.

Stone said he was approached about six months ago and asked if the department would be interested in this type of box for their facility.

The donation was funded through drug money seized by the SEMO Drug Task Force.

"This is a great opportunity for those who have missed the previous events, or who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications," Stone said.

Stone pointed out that drug disposal is a difficult task for individuals. Medications placed in trash cans can be stolen and recent studies have pointed to concerns regarding the practice of flushing medication. The concern is that trace amounts could still make their way back into city drinking water which could be quite dangerous.

Items that can be dropped into the box include, but are not limited to, prescription medications and samples both in boxes or bottles, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, pet medications, creams, ointments and liquid medications in leak-proof containers.

Thermometers, syringes, IV bags, bio-waste, aerosols, inhalers and Epi-Pens are not to be disposed of in the box.

The label on the box states that it is not designed for large quantities of medications from health care facilities.

Stone said the new box addresses a vital public safety and health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, says Stone, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to the drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

If you have questions regarding what is or is not accepted, contact the Dexter Police Department at 624-5512.