Sheriff's Office Combats Prescription Drug Abuse

The sheriff's office is charging forward in its campaign against prescription drug abuse.

Sheriff's Capt. Jim Walker signaled in December that county law enforcement would be taking a hard line against the abuse of painkillers. The issue grabbed his attention because the detectives under his division were investigating suspicious deaths almost every week.

A breakdown of the deaths revealed why: 38 people died from overdoses in 2007; new numbers show 47 Hernando County residents died of overdoses in 2008.

"Perception was reality," Walker said Wednesday.

Since then, the sheriff's office has mounted billboards cautioning against the dangers of prescription pill abuse. A similar public service announcement plays at the local movie theaters.

The latest effort comes on Saturday, March 28, with Operation Medicine Cabinet. Residents are encouraged to drop off old prescription medicine at the Wal-Mart stores on State Road 50, near Sunshine Grove Road, and U.S. 19 at Spring Hill Drive. The program runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Combating the illegal sales of prescription drugs is difficult for law enforcement because the medicine itself is not illegal. When used according to the guidelines, it can be a godsend for people suffering chronic pain.

The problem arises when prescription drugs are used in the same manner as marijuana or crack cocaine. Mixing prescription drugs and washing them down with alcohol produces the fatal overdoses that Walker has noted.

Still, there's a demand for the drugs and people willing to supply them. One of the easiest ways is not a street corner deal, but raiding a family member's medicine cabinet, Walker said.

That's why he considers operations like the one coming up in two weeks important.

"We just want to help and provide a means to get rid of this stuff," Walker said.

If You Go

What: Old prescription drug collection.

When: 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., March 28.

Where: Wal-Mart at State Road 50 and U.S. 19.

Proper Disposal Of Prescription Drugs

Federal officials do not recommend flushing old prescription drugs down the toilet. Instead, it's recommended you take these steps:

Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.

Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.

Put this mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.

Conceal or remove any personal information, including prescription number, on the empty containers by covering it with a black permanent marker or duct tape.

Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash

Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy