During a four-hour period Saturday, the Statesville Police Department collected a total of 83 pounds of prescription medications at two sites in the city.
The collection was part of Operation Medicine Drop, which encouraged people to drop off prescription medications that they no longer needed. The SPD manned two sites -- one at Kmart and another at Walmart from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday -- to provide people with a venue to dispose of unwanted or unused medications.
A total of 29,618 dosage units or 83 pounds of medications were collected by officers during the four-hour period.
Statesville Police Chief Tom Anderson said this is part of the SPD's commitment to combating the chronic and growing problem of prescription drug abuse.
In the past 21 months, Anderson said, the SPD has investigated more than 100 cases in which prescription medications were stolen. Those stolen drugs included xanax, oxycodone, hydrocodone and klonopin and other varieties of prescription controlled substances.
Anderson said during that time period, 136 people have been arrested for drug diversion-related offenses, such as prescription fraud, possession, sale and delivery offenses.
He said the SPD has seized more than 1,600 dosage units of oxycodone, 600 dosage units of alprazolam, 1,200 dosage units of hydrocodone, 145 dosage units of clonazepam and 800 dosage units of other varieties of prescribed controlled substances.
Operation Medicine Drop is held in conjunction with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Studies from the Partnership for a Drug Free America indicate that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. By encouraging people to drop off those drugs, Anderson said, it is hoped that will limit the access to prescription medications.
The drugs are disposed of by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Copyright 2011 - Statesville Record & Landmark, N.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
