| Drug
dropoff set for Tuesday
Cottonwood Police Department is worried about drugs in our area. Now, with that statement, most of you are probably thinking something to the extent of “duh”, but let me explain. Just keep in mind the date June 7, 2011. The most recent ‘drug of choice’ among the folks who are illegally using drugs is prescription medications. We have had issues where subjects have entered houses, on varied reasons or excuses or flat broke in, and have stolen Hydrocodone, Oxcytontin, Percaset as well as numerous other drugs. In most cases the subjects did not take other ‘valuable’ items in the house, just the drugs. Couple that with recent interviews with several inmates who have stated that they had become addicted to prescription medications which lead them to prison, and I think we can safely say that folks will break into your residence to steal medications. So, just like the old math classes, we add that to the fact that most folks, myself included, tend to hold onto unused drugs left over from some illness ‘just in case we need them later’ and you can have the supply answer to the addiction demand. Result, criminals that know they are there don’t feel bad about breaking in to your house to take them. What can we do with these old prescription, or over the counter, medications, vitamins, pills from wherever and such that are lying around? Well, one thought years ago was flush them down the toilet. DON’T DO THAT!! Studies are only now showing the damages that flushing these things down the toilet are doing to our water and sewage systems. I am no scientist, but my understanding is that the chemical makeups of several medications are wreaking havoc on our systems from years of folks flushing them down the toilet. What else can you do with them? I have an answer ready for you. Cottonwood Police Department, along with St. Mary’s Ambulance is going to take them off your hands. Through a statewide prescription drug turn in program we will collect any medications that you wish to get rid of. We will then send them to a facility where they can be safely destroyed. This will be held in the basement of the Cottonwood Community Hall, right next door to the Library. And, to sweeten the pot, the EMTs with St. Marys Ambulance will be present to take your blood pressure for you, always good to know what THAT number is at. This also happens to be the same day that there is a Senior Citizen Lunch in Cottonwood, so, if you folks would like to bring in any old medications you want to get rid of, we will have someone at the lunch to collect them for you. Looks to me like an all around win for everyone. You get to clean out your cupboards a bit, help keep yourself safe by eliminating the “supply” of the supply and demand for criminals, and get your blood pressure checked all at one time. The EMTs get to practice medication identification and doing blood pressure checks, and Cottonwood Police gets to help keep folks safe by getting the medications off the street, and while you are that close stop by and check out the Library. All of us get to benefit by having clean water and functioning sewer systems to use. Everyone Wins. See you on June 7th, 2011 at the Cottonwood Community Hall between 10:00 and 4:00. |
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