The Bellefontaine Police Department in partnership with Mary Rutan Hospital, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration now has a full-time opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Thanks to Mary Rutan Hospital, there is now a medication drop box in the lobby of the police department. The site cannot accept liquids or needles/sharps. Pills and patches will be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

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. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen 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.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs, go to www.DEATakeBack.com
​

In most communities throughout the United States, you will find a growing trend of opiate use.  Opiates are typically most easily defined as "pills".  Opiates seem to be a leading cause of Heroin use, as more and more users of Heroin explain their starting point in abusing harmful drugs.  Unfortunately, opiate use may start out as something that a physician may prescribe for pain or post-op, but if not carefully monitored by the patient, opiates can become easily abused without the patient recognizing their body's newly formed craving.  For example, an adult that recently had a knee surgery will be prescribed pain medication to help keep the patient more comfortable.  The patient begins using the pain killer as prescribed, but their body may end up causing the person to believe they "must" have the medication to recuperate successfully.  In the end, what started out as a knee surgery, may end up causing a life-long addiction problem.   If you notice side affects from the prescribed drug on initial use, please pay close attention and consult your physician.

Please do whatever you can to stop this growing trend!  We need to all be mindful of this possibility with family, friends and loved-ones.  Without your help and careful consideration of the possibilities, we will continue to see this problem incrementally expand.  

If you know of someone that is abusing harmful drugs, please do what you can to point them towards help!  Local drug and alcohol treatment facilities are available.  Consolidated Care is a great place to start, or talk to your own physician.   Those who unknowingly become addicts,  may not recognize the symptoms that you see and may initially deny that there is a problem.  Urge them to closely monitor their prescriptions and pill intake.  

If you need to speak with someone more about this growing problem, please either call us at (937) 599-1010 or simply Contact Us here.  We will help as much as possible.

Together, we can make a difference!