Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Here’s a spring cleaning tip from law enforcement: start with your medicine cabinet and ditch the old pills.
That’s the idea with the “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” scheduled Saturday in Clovis and Portales, encouraging the public to anonymously drop off old medications at local sites for disposal.
It “addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue,” according to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s website for the event. A 2017 survey estimated 6 million Americans “misused controlled prescription drugs” and that “a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.”
Locally, this is the second time for drop-off sites in Curry or Roosevelt counties. The most recent previous event was in October, when roughly 56 pounds of old medications were collected in Clovis, according to the community program manager for the Curry County Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.
“It’s totally anonymous, no questions asked. Bring them to us and we dispose of them,” Tanya Henderson said Monday. In Clovis, drop-offs are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Roden-Smith Pharmacy (305 Llano Estacado Blvd.) or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Walgreens (700 E. 21st St.).
The emphasis is on opioid medications, but organizers “will accept any medication, ointments, needles and sharps,” said Roosevelt County’s Prevention Coalition Coordinator.
“It’s education for the community,” Ruby Garcia told The News. “It’s not just about the takeback day, but also letting all of our community residents know there are locations where you can drop prescription drugs off 365 days of the year.”
In Portales those year-round sites include the local hospital and police department, each of which has different stipulations that are outlined in literature available at Saturday’s drop-off site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Roosevelt County courthouse.
Garcia said local data shows almost two-thirds of people “have their meds just in the kitchen, bathroom or drawer, and not properly secured.” It’s not the most obvious hazard but one officials hope to highlight with the weekend event.
Local law enforcement are supporting the event, said organizers, and DEA officials out of Albuquerque will pick up the collection for destruction after Saturday afternoon. Henderson recommended participants bring a copy of the event flyer with them for the unlikely hypothetical they are pulled over en route to a drop-off site.
“The majority of people utilizing this system are getting rid of their old prescriptions or (those from) a family member who has passed,” Clovis Police Chief Doug Ford said. “We are not looking to cause issues for our law abiding citizens who are trying to do what is proper.”
Email Henderson at [email protected] for a flyer or call her at 575-763-7725 with questions on the event. Garcia can be reached at 575-359-1048, ext 2.
