BLANCHESTER — The Blanchester Police Department has purchased a product known as “Deterra”, which can be used by consumers to destroy unwanted prescription drugs.
The product is manufactured by a company in Minnesota and consists of a plastic bag containing a chemical compound that reacts to water to destroy pills and tablets. The consumer simply places the unwanted pills into the bag, adds warm tap water, seals and agitates the bag, and the pills inside are neutralized. The bag can then be placed into the trash.
Research indicates that many youngsters first experiment with drugs by using prescription drugs found in the family medicine cabinet. Many times these are opiates that have been legitimately prescribed to family members who used only a portion of the pills.
The use of prescription opiates, which are highly addictive, often leads to the use of heroin later in life. We hope to prevent the start of this cycle by encouraging people to destroy prescription drugs that are no longer needed.
In Clinton County in 2016, doctors prescribed enough opiates to provide 19 doses to every man, woman and child in the county. The state average is 14 doses per capita. That means there are a lot of opiates in medicine cabinets in Blanchester.
“Deterra” bags will be available at the Blanchester police station starting at noon on Monday, March 6.
The police department has purchased a product known as “Deterra”, which can be used by consumers to destroy unwanted prescription drugs. The product is manufactured by a company in Minnesota and consists of a plastic baggie containing a chemical compound that reacts to water to destroy pills and tablets.
The consumer simply places the unwanted pills into the bag, adds warm tap water, seals and agitates the bag, and the pills inside are neutralized. The bag can then be placed into the trash.
Research indicates that many youngsters first experiment with drugs by using prescription drugs found in the family medicine cabinet. Many times these are opiates that have been legitimately prescribed to family members who used only a portion of the pills.
The use of prescription opiates, which are highly addictive, often leads to the use of heroin later in life. We hope to prevent the start of this cycle by encouraging people to destroy prescription drugs that are no longer needed.
In Clinton County in 2016, doctors prescribed enough opiates to provide 19 doses to every man, woman and child in the county. The state average is 14 doses per capita.
That means there are a lot of opiates in medicine cabinets in Blanchester.
“Deterra” bags will be available at the Blanchester police station starting at noon on Monday, March 6.
Scott Reinbolt is Blanchester Chief of Police.
