Elk City participating in 'Safe Trip for Scripts'
Dale Denwalt
Daily Elk Citian
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has purchased and delivered a mailbox-like receptacle where area residents can drop off old, outdated and unused prescription drugs.
Police Chief Eddie Holland said people can bring them to the box, which has been set up in the lobby of the Elk City Police Department.
"OBN agents will service them and take the collections of pharmaceuticals to the Covanta Energy Company in Tulsa, where they burn the pharmaceuticals and convert them to clean energy at no cost to the taxpayer," he said.
Over the past year, OBN has collected more than six tons of drugs at drop-off containers around the state as part of the "Safe Trip for Scripts" program.
“Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic in Oklahoma," said OBN spokesman Mark Woodward.
"It’s unnecessary and unsafe to leave outdated drugs in the house. Old, expired medications left in the home can be targeted by users. Teenagers also target their parent’s current or expired prescription drugs to abuse, trade or sell in order to obtain alcohol, marijuana or other drugs.”
OBN Chief Darrell Weaver said prescription drug abuse is a 'silent cancer.'
"Simply put, our citizens are dying and it's unacceptable. This statewide program is believed to be the only one of its kind in the nation and we believe it has the potential to have a significant impact on this troubling problem," he said. "If we save one citizen’s life then the effort will be worth it."
Woodward also notes that simply flushing old drugs down the drain or throwing them away allow the chemicals inside to find their way into the environment.
"These drugs cannot be removed from water supplies at typical waste water treatment plants, and the contaminated water can then have negative effects on aquatic organisms, fish, and other wildlife," he said.