Joe Ryan, manager of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, speaks at the unveiling of a prescription drug drop-off box at the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack on Wednesday.
Harford County residents who need to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs will no longer have to wait for an official Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, with the unveiling Wednesday of a drop-off box at the Maryland State Police’s Bel Air Barrack.
The box was created as the result of a partnership between the State Police and the Harford County Department of Community Services’ Office of Drug Control Policy, which drug take-back events throughout the year.
However, aside from those days, both the State Police and county authorities were unable to accept unwanted prescription drugs. The new drop-off box will be available 24/7; drugs left in the box will be collected by a State Police property inventory officer and eventually incinerated at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, according to Bel Air Barrack commander Lt. Matthew Kail.
County Executive David Craig said the box was part of the county’s efforts to reduce Harford’s opioid death rate, which is the fourth highest in Maryland.
“We want to be proactive and put an end to this gateway to drug abuse,” Craig said.
Over the past three years, more than 11,000 pounds of unused medicines have been turned in at Harford County locations, according to Joe Ryan, manager of the office of Drug Control Policy.
“Law enforcement alone will never solve the drug problem,” Ryan said. “We need family involvement.”
Taxpayers in this county are funding an entire office dedicated to drug control policy. Wow! What a waste of money.
Although it is certainly important to do something to curb prescription drug abuse, this is more than just a matter of fighting the so-called “War On Drugs”. Another clear winner from the collection and controlled destruction of unwanted prescription drugs is the environment.
An article published in 2011 by Scientific American entitled “External Medicine: Discarded Drugs May Contaminate 40 Million Americans’ Drinking Water” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pharmaceuticals-in-the-water, explains how, when tested, 80% of rivers and streams in the US showed low levels of prescription drugs.
With these statistics in mind, I believe a prescription drug drop-box is an excellent idea and use of taxpayer dollars! It is probably more economical then paying officers to staff the Take-Back Events and is definitely more convienent than figuring out which day the event will occur and remembering to go.
Thank you Maryland State Police, Lt. Matthew Kail, County Executive David Craig and Joe Ryan of Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy.
Will they accept narcotics and other controlled prescriptions? Most drug drop-offs refuse to accept them.
Its a f—ing box. It will accept whatever you can fit in there.
You know some idiot is gonna go to the box to get drugs even if it is at the state police barracks.