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As COVID-19 numbers began to grow in the U.S., public health experts warned of escalating opioid overdose rates due to social isolation, rising unemployment rates and limited drug abuse prevention and treatment resources. In Duval County, Florida, opioid overdose calls went up 40 percent in the first six months of 2020. As overdoses rose in tandem with COVID-19 concerns, the Duval County Drug Epidemiology Network, which partners with Jacksonville’s Community Coalition Alliance (CCAFL) and the Florida National Guard, among others, was tasked with finding creative ways to reach the community and continue the fight against the opioid epidemic.
“Florida was already considered an at-risk state in the opioid epidemic, and when COVID-19 began to spread and stay-at-home orders were put in place, that risk increased drastically. Working together with law enforcement and community organizations, we had to think outside the box to uncover strategies that would allow us to continue to prevent drug abuse and educate people from the safety of their homes,” says Florida National Guard Captain Michael Coy.
With the spring DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day postponed, CCAFL partnered with the creators of the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System and SAFE Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the addiction epidemic, to rid Florida of unused medications during National Prevention Week (May 10-16, 2020). The organizations arranged for households to receive free Deterra Pouches delivered directly to their door through the at-home medication disposal campaign.
The campaign provided an easy, effective solution to prevent drug abuse amid challenges posed by COVID-19. Floridians were able to remove leftover or expired medications at home and eliminate the possibility of drugs falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, the Deterra Pouches were accompanied by a survey to allow for data collection to learn more about drug abuse and medication use patterns in Duval County.
Nearly 200 Florida households received Deterra Pouches through the campaign, eliminating up to 17,730 opportunities for abuse, diversion and environmental harm. In addition to the campaign efforts, CCAFL has worked closely with Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) to make 50,000 Deterra Pouches available across 20 counties in Florida.
“Due to COVID-19, our options to listen, educate and connect with the community became extremely limited,” says Kathleen Roberts, Executive Director at CCAFL. “Reaching people in their homes with education and resources on safe drug disposal was a convenient and effective way to continue our momentum with drug abuse prevention in Duval County.”
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.
