By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
In conjunction with the National Drug Take-Back Day, the Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit, including members of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and the Hays Police Department, will be collecting unused and unwanted drugs Saturday in Hays.
The free event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the north side of the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center, 105 W. 12th.
During the event, deputies will meet participants at their car window as they pull up and will be conscious of COVID-19 concerns.
"We will be wearing masks to make sure you are safe and comfortable," Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun said. "We'll take your bags or you can throw them personally into those containers, but one way or another we will get those off your hands."
Drugs that can be dropped off include tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
By removing the drugs, the department hopes to lower the risk of someone using the drugs in ways that can be harmful.
"The Drug Enforcement Unit has seen a need for this and so has the DEA that started this program because people were using drugs that were left in the counter and the medicine cabinet," Braun said.
And during the COVID-19 pandemic, use has increased significantly.
"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 83,544 Americans overdosing during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2020, the most ever recorded in a 12-month period," according to the department. "The increase in drug overdose deaths appeared to begin prior to the COVID-19 health emergency but accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic."
Even more so, the amount of drugs collected nationally over the 10-year life of the programs shows the everyday need to remove unwanted drugs from homes.
"Since the time that it has started (nationally) 10 years ago, there have been over 6,800 tons of prescription drugs taken off the streets that don't end up in our kids' hands," Braun said.
While the effort helps keep people safe, it is also a good environmental effort, he said.
"Back in the day, we used to dump them down the toilet and then they would destroy and hit our water system," Braun said. "We found that is not the best practice."
He said the collection is kept anonymous to alleviate and privacy concerns.
Further Bruan said participants can blackout names on prescription bottles, or remove labels prior to drop off if they have concerns.
"I can assure you, your identity is kept safe and we will make sure that it makes it to the appropriate locations," he said.
While the effort brings attention to the issue, residents can also drop off unwanted drugs in a permanent drop box maintained by the department.
"We have a bin in the sheriff's office lobby, and we take them all year long," Braun said. "We will make sure they are secure and will make it to St. Louis to be destroyed."