MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Four police departments in the state will receive equipment to help eradicate the local community of unwanted and dated prescription drugs.
“We think being able to dispose of them easier and locally will help us get these drugs out of people’s homes and keep people from becoming a target or breaking into their homes,” said Star City Police Chief Vic Propst.
His department, Huntington Police Department in Cabell County, Boone County Sheriff’s Office in Madison and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office in Parkersburg were awarded funding to purchase a prescription drug incinerator.
The announcement came from the West Virginia Attorney General’s office around the same time many departments were recognizing the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Drug Take Back Day. It’s a national initiative encouraging proper disposal of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
Twice a year, many departments partner with pharmacies to host drop off locations.
“We used to be able to fill up a copy box full of drugs in a day’s time. Now these boxes the DEA brings, they brought me four and it might not be enough. They’re huge boxes, too,” said Chief Propst.
As more people participate in the take back days, Propst noted a need for a more readily available disposal system. The nearest DEA drop off site to Propst’s department in Monongalia County is more than 170 miles away.
“That’s a terrible waste of man power and gasoline just to be able to dispose of these drugs,” said the Star City officer. “To have a facility here locally, we can accommodate all the police departments in the area with a simple memorandum of understanding.”
The incinerators are being financed through grants from the Attorney General Public Health Trust which is made up of the Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia State Medical Association, West Virginia Nurses Association and the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission.
“According to the paper work it’s like $6,300 dollars. But, the value of it is a lot more than just money. The value of it is getting rid of this problem or at least making an impact on it,” Chief Propst said.
The long-time law enforcement officer said he’s grown weary of notifying family members of an overdose death.
“There’s no good way to do it. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. It has to be done at the time. In just my small town, we’ve had two overdose deaths in a month in hotel rooms.”
West Virginia leads the nation in opioid related overdose deaths. The number increased 600% since 1999. In West Virginia, 627 people died last year from opioid use.
Propst has seen how addiction is impacting users and others.
“They have families. They have loved ones. Their loved ones have no idea what’s going on with them. And, they’ve died in hotel rooms alone. It’s sad.”
Funding for the incinerators is part of the Dispose Responsibly of Prescriptions (DRoP) initiative.
DRoP boxes are currently located at the Boone County Sherriff’s Office, Ceredo Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Mullens Police Department, Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office, Paden City Police Department, Pleasants County Sheriff’s Office, Roane County Sheriff’s Office and the Shepherdstown Police Department.