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In 2007, unintentional drug overdose became the leading cause of injury death in Ohio. Ten years later, in 2017, Clark County — a predominately rural county between Dayton and Columbus — ranked third in the state for its overdose death rate with 96 unintentional overdoses that year.
Detective Brian Melchi, a 21-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), was tasked with helping lead efforts to curb this epidemic and encourage drug prevention in the county. But when he started this work, the only thing the sheriff’s office had was a single medicine drop-off box in the entire county.
Over the past few years, CCSO has greatly expanded its drug disposal program into a robust offering that includes local drug take back day events, several drop-off boxes across the county, and distributing Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches to residents.
CCSO first learned about this at-home drug disposal option after receiving a donation of 1,200 Deterra Pouches which they distributed throughout the community. After using that initial donation, CCSO started exploring funding options to continue to provide this prevention tool. The sheriff’s office secured a national Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) grant through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to purchase additional pouches.
The pouches use tap water and activated carbon to render harmful chemicals in medications inert, irretrievable and safe to throw away in household trash, removing dangerous excess or expired pills, liquids, patches and more from homes.
“When we started the program, people were questioning what they were,” says Melchi. But now three years later? “We have people showing up asking for multiple bags because the word has gotten out, and residents know what they are and how easy they work.”
The sheriff’s office distributes pouches to residents at community events, like drug take back days and the county fair. The county also has equipped every cruiser with Deterra Pouches, so deputies can pass them out while on calls. Because the pouches don’t take up much room, it’s easy for officers to carry them in their cars.
Since the launch of the home disposal program three years ago, Melchi has seen a steady increase in resident demand. “We distributed 3,600 at our most recent county fair alone,” he reports. “People are now proactively asking for bags not just during community events and drug takeback days, but throughout the year.”
Moreover, at previous drug takeback events, deputies would distribute just one Deterra Pouch per person. Today, residents come to the gatherings and ask for multiple pouches. “It shows that the program’s working,” Melchi says.
Visit DeterraSystem.com/government to explore how other organizations are using Deterra or reach out to (612) 568-1128 or Sales@DeterraSystem.com to discuss how to implement at-home drug disposal initiatives in your community.
