Joint initiative aims to keep medicine from being abused, polluting waterways
Coatesville Police Sgt. Rodger Ollis demonstrates the ease with which residents can dispose of unused medication.
Health and law-enforcement experts warn that the path to heroin addiction often starts in family medicine cabinets.
The reason? Once people develop a dependence on prescription medication, they are motivated to switch to heroin, which is less costly, easy to obtain, and sometimes deadly, the experts say.
That is one of the reasons that the Brandywine Health Foundation, Coatesville Youth Initiative, Pennsylvania American Water, and local police departments have joined forces to provide residents with an easy way to discard unwanted and expired drugs and medication safely 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Another objective is to keep the drugs from polluting local waterways.
“From our experience, the best and most cost effective way to ensure high quality water at the tap is to keep our source waters clean. That is why we are excited about this public-private partnership to help us spread the message: ‘Please don’t flush medications down the toilet, where they would eventually end up in our waterways,’” Kathy L. Pape, president of Pennsylvania American Water.
Caln Township Police Chief Joseph G. Elias said the effort will also protect children and families. “The availability of these drugs in the home has become a leading cause of accidental poisoning, and has led to the alarming rate of prescription drug abuse in recent years,” he said. “In many cases they have become gateway drugs for other illegal, highly addictive drugs such as heroin. Public awareness and proper alternatives to appropriately dispose of unwanted medicine play a vital role in education and prevention, and are critical in keeping our communities safe.”
Collection boxes will be available at the following locations:
Caln Township Police Department, 253 Municipal Drive, Thorndale, 19320, 610-383-1821, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
City of Coatesville Police Department, 1 City Hall, Coatesville, 19320, 610- 384-2300, 24 hours/7 days a week.
West Brandywine Township Police Department, 198 Lafayette Rd., Coatesville, 19320, 610-380-8201; 24 hours/7 days a week.
West Caln Township Police Department, 721 W. Kings Highway, Coatesville, 19320, 610-384-3115, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Valley Township Police Department, 890 W. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, 19320, 610-384-8133, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
