Politics & Government

Area Police Celebrate Drug Collection Success, Prepare for Fall Event

Among 65 participating counties in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County ranked first, Washington County, ninth.

Allegheny County is No. 1, according to a statewide tally of prescription drug collection in the most recent national Drug Take-Back initiative.

Among 65 participating counties, Allegheny County ranked first, collecting nearly 2,150 pounds; Washington County ranked ninth, collecting 705 pounds.

The program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and state and local law enforcement agencies to rid the country of unwanted prescription drugs and prevent abuse.

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In April, drugs were collected at Allegheny County's North Park Police Station and the  as part of the nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

For many local departments, this was the second collection date since the program began on Sept. 25, 2010.

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 saw a 100-pound increase the second time around.

“We had a pretty significant increase,” Lt. Kevin Meyer said. According to Meyer, 188 pounds of medication were collected in 2011, vs. 

Meyer credits the success of this year's drive to additional publicity, and good word of mouth.

He said the department would likely participate in the next Take-Back Day in the fall. 

The , and Chief Harry Fruecht said the police were “pleasantly surprised and somewhat shocked.”

“The first year we took in 30-40 pounds,” Fruecht said. “This year, we took in a significant 235 pounds.

“It’s scary how much that’s out there,” he said. “When you see the (collected) totals, and the significant amounts, you wonder how much is still sitting out there.

“We are glad we could get all of those drugs off the streets, using a program which permits us to rid drugs in an environmentally safe manner."

Baldwin Borough Police Chief Michael Scott is also content with the way the drugs are disposed.

"We think it's a valuable resource for people who, in years gone by, would have just flushed those medications down the toilet and into the water supply,” he said. “So, it's a very safe alternative for disposing those medications.”

His department collected six boxes of prescription drugs — nearly 89 pounds.

"It's been real valuable, especially for people who have had family members pass away and didn't know what to do with the large amount of medications that especially terminally ill people may have had,” Scott said.

"One woman brought all of her deceased relative's pills together in a plastic bag, all of the colors mixed together. I can see how a child picking them up might think that they're licorice, like Good & Plenty or something."

The Oakmont Police Department joined the initiative after Chief David DiSanti heard of its success in the first year.

DiSanti said the police department collected more than 200 pounds of drugs.

"I couldn't believe how successful it was here," he said. "We had people come from all over to drop stuff off. It went really well."

Disanti said he was pleased with this year's results and he plans for the department to get involved with the program for years to come.

Moon Township Police Chief Leo McCarthy noted this year’s program was “extremely successful.”

“We filled two large boxes,” said McCarthy. The boxes were approximately 3 feet deep by 18 inches wide.

“It was about as successful as we were last time,” he said, referring to the first Take-Back Day in September. The program also helps build relationships between the DEA and local agencies, McCarthy said.

“More agencies participated this time, which just shows it is a good thing,” he said.  

Canonsburg Police Chief R.T. Bell said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the community reaction to the department's first year participating in the Take-Back program.

"I didn't know how they would take it," he said. "But there were people who were looking for us."

He credited Chief Fruecht of Peters Township for helping to recruit the department regarding the effort.

"We're planning to do it again next year," Bell said.

Chief Fruecht said he feels that because people were so responsive, he’s urged the continuation of collection between drug Take-Back days.

“We’ve never stopped,” he said. “We needed to make it as convenient as possible for (people). We placed an old mailbox we used years ago in the station’s lobby, and said ‘Hey, if you’re still interested, you don’t have to wait. You can come down.’”

According to the DEA website, more than 4,700 sites across the United States participated in the Take-Back Day this year.

The website states that soon after last year’s initiative, Congress passed legislation amending the Controlled Substances Act to allow the DEA to develop a process for people to safely dispose of their prescription drugs. President Obama signed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of 2010 on Oct. 12.

“The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the first two take-back events is simply staggering —309 tons— and represents a clear need for a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in an online statement.

The next National Take-Back Day is scheduled for Oct. 29. For more information, visit the DEA's website.

Baldwin-WhitehallCanon-McMillanCranberryMoon and Plum-Oakmont Patch editors contributed to this report.


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