Parents’ Loss Leads To Unwanted, Expired Prescription Drop-Off Box
December 7, 2021 at 4:04 a.m.
Parents’ Loss Leads To Unwanted, Expired Prescription Drop-Off Box
By Jackie Gorski-
The Drop 2 Stop box is the first one in Kosciusko County, said Becky Savage, 525 Foundation, during the box’s dedication Monday.
Drop 2 Stop features specially designed, secure boxes that allow people to properly dispose of expired or unneeded drugs anytime.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher said seven police departments in the county have their own boxes, including Mentone, Claypool, Milford, Silver Lake, Syracuse and Winona Lake.
KCSO teaming up with the 525 Foundation to put out the Drop 2 Stop box has been phenomenal, said Dukes.
Every week, when the previous drug box in the parking lot is full, it’s cleaned out, Dukes said. The old drug box will be removed.
“We collaborate with the Claypool town marshal, Chief (Ben) Sanders. And then he goes around and picks up all the prescription drugs and properly disposes them. But we’re talking major pounds every week here in Kosciusko County,” Dukes said.
Bucher said about 1,600 pounds of prescription drugs were picked up countywide in 2021 and about 1,000 pounds were dropped off at KCSO.
Savage said the foundation’s mission is to spread prevention through awareness and education. One of the programs the foundation has is the Drop 2 Stop program, which puts drop boxes in grocery stores, law enforcement areas and hospitals in order to encourage the public to safely dispose of their unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs.
“We’ve been very successful and lots of community members are hearing about these boxes going up and they’re really starting to fill up,” Savage said.
Savage said there’s always a need for the Drop 2 Stop boxes because there’s a lot of prescriptions out there.
“We’re not against prescription medications. We want people to be responsible with their medications. We want people to properly store their medications. And we want them to properly dispose of them when they’re done with it,” Savage said.
The latest research shows that 100,000 people over the last 12 months have died from some type of overdose.
Savage said 525 wanted the boxes to be put in a convenient place.
“Any time that you can walk in some place, no questions asked, and just drop off your unused medication, it is great. People will start making it a habit. We want them to be visible where people can see them whether it be at a grocery store, or the police station or at your local hospital, where they’re constantly a visible reminder that you should go home and clean out your medicine cabinets,”?Savage said.
Dukes said KCSO wanted to make dropping off prescription drugs to be easy for people and for the drugs to be properly disposed of. He said putting a new box in the sheriff’s office is also a secure place.
Overdose calls are “scary events that keep happening here in Kosciusko County, they’re extremely sad,” Dukes said. The Drop 2 Stop box is a way to put a dent in overdoses.
Savage lost two sons: Nick Savage, 19, and Jack, 18, on June 14, 2015. They attended high school graduation parties and died of acute alcohol and oxycodone overdose, according to the foundation’s website.
“As a result, we are choosing to honor our sons, Nick and Jack, with the creation of the 525 Foundation – their hockey numbers were 5 and 25. Our goal is to prevent another family from having to endure the pain of such a tragedy through outreach, education and support,” she said.
The Drop 2 Stop box is the first one in Kosciusko County, said Becky Savage, 525 Foundation, during the box’s dedication Monday.
Drop 2 Stop features specially designed, secure boxes that allow people to properly dispose of expired or unneeded drugs anytime.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher said seven police departments in the county have their own boxes, including Mentone, Claypool, Milford, Silver Lake, Syracuse and Winona Lake.
KCSO teaming up with the 525 Foundation to put out the Drop 2 Stop box has been phenomenal, said Dukes.
Every week, when the previous drug box in the parking lot is full, it’s cleaned out, Dukes said. The old drug box will be removed.
“We collaborate with the Claypool town marshal, Chief (Ben) Sanders. And then he goes around and picks up all the prescription drugs and properly disposes them. But we’re talking major pounds every week here in Kosciusko County,” Dukes said.
Bucher said about 1,600 pounds of prescription drugs were picked up countywide in 2021 and about 1,000 pounds were dropped off at KCSO.
Savage said the foundation’s mission is to spread prevention through awareness and education. One of the programs the foundation has is the Drop 2 Stop program, which puts drop boxes in grocery stores, law enforcement areas and hospitals in order to encourage the public to safely dispose of their unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs.
“We’ve been very successful and lots of community members are hearing about these boxes going up and they’re really starting to fill up,” Savage said.
Savage said there’s always a need for the Drop 2 Stop boxes because there’s a lot of prescriptions out there.
“We’re not against prescription medications. We want people to be responsible with their medications. We want people to properly store their medications. And we want them to properly dispose of them when they’re done with it,” Savage said.
The latest research shows that 100,000 people over the last 12 months have died from some type of overdose.
Savage said 525 wanted the boxes to be put in a convenient place.
“Any time that you can walk in some place, no questions asked, and just drop off your unused medication, it is great. People will start making it a habit. We want them to be visible where people can see them whether it be at a grocery store, or the police station or at your local hospital, where they’re constantly a visible reminder that you should go home and clean out your medicine cabinets,”?Savage said.
Dukes said KCSO wanted to make dropping off prescription drugs to be easy for people and for the drugs to be properly disposed of. He said putting a new box in the sheriff’s office is also a secure place.
Overdose calls are “scary events that keep happening here in Kosciusko County, they’re extremely sad,” Dukes said. The Drop 2 Stop box is a way to put a dent in overdoses.
Savage lost two sons: Nick Savage, 19, and Jack, 18, on June 14, 2015. They attended high school graduation parties and died of acute alcohol and oxycodone overdose, according to the foundation’s website.
“As a result, we are choosing to honor our sons, Nick and Jack, with the creation of the 525 Foundation – their hockey numbers were 5 and 25. Our goal is to prevent another family from having to endure the pain of such a tragedy through outreach, education and support,” she said.
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