In response to a “surge” in opioid overdoses in Ohio in 2020, Attorney General Dave Yost Friday announced the state’s first “Drug Dropoff Day.”
“You know, a lot of opioid addictions actually start out of the family medicine cabinet,” Yost said in a video posted to his Twitter account.
Yost said that Saturday, his office will have tents set up across the state to collect unused prescription medication. There will be locations in Westerville, Wheelsburg, Hillard, Portsmouth, and two locations in Washington Court House.
“I’m starting Attorney General Drug Dropoff Days because this is so important. In the last year [during] the COVID pandemic, the CDC reported more than 81,000 opioid overdose deaths,” he said. “That’s the highest number ever recorded. In Ohio, our research at the Attorney General’s office found an increase in [overdose] deaths in two-thirds of our counties.”
All of the dropoff tents will be located at Kroger supermarkets in those towns. The second location in Washington Court House will be the Fayette County Jail. All of the locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Yost said his office chose those locations because “families there have been among the hardest-hit” by the uptick in overdose deaths.
“Moms, dads, grandparents forget that they have a leftover prescription and somebody gets their hands on it, and the next thing you know, they’re addicted and looking to the streets to find their next fix,” he continued. “That’s why drug take-back days are so important – and safe disposal.”
He also offered tips for medicine storage while it is being actively used.
“While you need your medicine, please keep it up high,” Yost said. “Secure it if possible. And if you don’t need it anymore, dispose of it safely.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operates safe prescription drug dropoff locations permanently nationwide, many of which are located inside pharmacies.
A search of the DEA’s website shows that there are 80 locations where prescription drugs can be disposed of within a 50-mile radius of Columbus.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com.
Background Photo “Safe Medication Disposal” by FDA.