[Pharmwaste] RE: Sheriff's program gives drugs the drop

Gilliam, Allen GILLIAM at adeq.state.ar.us
Thu Jan 6 16:09:35 EST 2011


Burke,

That's a pretty ominous story.

AR had a very successful 9/25 take-back day (close to 200 city and county law enforcement agencies participated).  As of today, it's unknown the total number of city/county police/sheriff's offices that have now installed the 24/7 "drop boxes" either inside their dispatch offices or outside bolted to the concrete and wall with surveillance cameras and flood lights.

To answer an earlier question, the AR Drug Director, via a strong urging by our state's AG's office began the wholesale "organized" the  9/25 take-back day and plans to conduct another next April.  No MOUs were written as far as I know.  The state's DEA just agreed the take-back/disposal programs could proceed as long as there was a law enforcement agent in place from drop-off to final destruction.

Seems the cart's beginning to overtake the horse in many instances, doesn't it?

Allen Gilliam
ADEQ State Pretreatment Coordinator
501.682.0625
-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Lucy, Burke
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 2:33 PM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Sheriff's program gives drugs the drop

Here's one problem with law enforcement collecting drugs...

Sheriff's program gives drugs the drop
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-drugdrop-20110106,0,6578684.story

"...the program has proven so popular that it's forced sheriff's officials to outsource disposal to another department, and has prompted suspicions that medical clinics - not private residents for whom the program was intended - are taking advantage of the free service.  The Safe Drug Drop-Off program allows residents to anonymously dispose of drug-related waste in modified mailbox containers that stand outside 20 sheriff's department stations throughout the county...More than 13,500 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications were collected last year at the various stations..."

I think law enforcement stations tend to place their collection bins outside or in lobbies whereas other types of programs tend to keep them inside.  I've only heard of the problem of medical clinics potentially using the drop boxes from a few law enforcement program managers.

Mr. Burke Lucy
Integrated Waste Management Specialist
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
1001 I Street, PO Box 4025
Sacramento, CA 95812
Burke.Lucy at CalRecycle.ca.gov
916.341.6592 (recently changed)

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