Prescription Drop-Off Box Located In Lawrence County Sheriff's Department Lobby

Last updated on Tuesday, April 12, 2016

(BEDFORD) - In partnership with the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and Hoosier Uplands, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department now has a permanent Prescription Drop-off Box located in the lobby of the Sheriff’s Department and is available 24/7.

Nichole Krahenbuhl of Hoosier Uplands says by properly disposing of all unwanted and unneeded medications being stored in your medicine cabinet, you can decrease the amount of prescription medications available for misuse and abuse, thereby helping fight drug abuse in our community.

Unfortunately, throwing medications in the trash does not keep them out of the hands of abusers and flushing them down the toilet or drain puts them into the water system, which has the potential to cause harm.

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States.

The drug abuse and addiction epidemic, gaining public attention across the country, is here in Lawrence County as well, Krahenbuhl added.

However, illicit "street" drugs are not the only problem. Patient visits to emergency departments for problems related to the misuse of prescription medications exceed those for illicit drugs.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 6 million Americans, age 12 and older, have misused a prescription painkiller (e.g., Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin), sedative (e.g., Valium, Xanax), or stimulant (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall) in the past month.

The problem is only getting worse with approximately 5,500 more people doing so for the first time every day.

To compound this problem, prescription medications are easily accessible. Even though the U.S. makes up less than 5 percent of the world's population, we consume 80% of the world's supply of prescription pain medication. About two-thirds of the individuals abusing prescription drugs report getting them from friends and family. I

Indiana exceeded all but eight states in the number of pain prescriptions written per 100 people in 2012 -- more than enough for every Hoosier to have his or her own bottle of pain pills, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, there are steps every citizen can do to help curb this epidemic:

Make time to go through your medications at home and dispose of all unwanted, expired, or unneeded medications in the local drop-off box to decrease the chance these will end up in the wrong hands.
Take all medications exactly as prescribed and only for the amount of time instructed by your healthcare provider, then properly dispose of the medication.
Teach family and friends the importance of never taking someone else's prescription medication for any reason.
It is a felony to sell or even give your prescriptions to someone else.

ITEMS ACCEPTED

Prescriptions
Over the counter Medications
Vitamins
Samples Medications
Pet Medications
Ointments
Lotions
Liquid Medications In leakproof containers
Please leave all medications in their original containers. You may mark out personal information such as name, address, etc.

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED

Needles (Sharps)
Plastic Bags
Bloody or Infectious Waste
Medication from Businesses or Clinics
Hydrogen Peroxide
Aerosol Cans
Inhalers

Contact the Lawrence County Sheriff Department for questions at (812) 275-3316.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

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