County Drug Take Back Day slated for Saturday, April 30th

Pickaway County will be participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration ‘National Drug Take Back Day’ on Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Five locations in the county are available as drop off sites.

The DEA reports drug overdose deaths are up 16 percent in the last year, claiming more than 290 lives every day. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported, a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 106,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending November 2021, marking the most drug-related deaths ever recorded, with opioid-related deaths accounting for 75 percent of all overdose deaths.

According to the DEA’s April 2021 report, Ohio ranked third in the nation with 43,475 pounds of drugs collected on the National Take Back Day.

Deputy Pete Bowers, from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Department and DARE officer, has been instrumental in coordinating the collection sites for this year. Bower stated, “The County Take Back Days have been a great success in the past. In April 2021, 204 pounds of unused or expired medications were collected. We look forward in helping reduce the amount of unused prescription and over the counter medications that may otherwise get in unintended hands.”

The drop-off locations will be following DEA guidelines which state:

• Law enforcement partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. All solid dosage pharmaceutical product and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
• Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. DEA will accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.

If county residents are unable to participate on April 30th, disposal boxes are available year-round at the Sheriff’s Department, OhioHealth Berger, and at the Circleville CVS. Pickaway Addiction Action Coalition has Deterra® Drug deactivation disposal pouches available at their office which is located at 770 North Court Street. The pouch provides a safe method to destroy and properly dispose of unused, unwanted, and expired medications with the simple addition of tap water.