Sheriff’s Office Will Offer Prescription Drug Deactivation Bags
JOLIET, Ill.
In its latest attempt to combat the opioid epidemic, the Will County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) announced this week that it will begin distributing pouches that residents can use to deactivate and dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs.
The WCSO said in a release that the Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal System is the only independently tested and scientifically proven drug disposal system that permanently deactivates all organic medications, including opioids in all forms: pills, patches, liquids, creams and films.
The system works by putting the unwanted medications into the pouch, filling the pouch with warm water, sealing the pouch, shaking and then disposing in a normal trash can. The Deterra pouches are environmentally friendly, and each one can deactivate up to 45 pills or six ounces of liquid medication.
The pouches, which are produced by a Minnesota company called Verde Environmental Technologies, will be made available upon request and handed out at numerous WCSO functions.
Sheriff Mike Kelley said the pouches will complement the office’s existing drug prevention programs and partnerships, like: DEA Drug Take Back Day, Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition events and the Will County Sheriff’s Office Prescription Drop Box.
The latter is located at the WCSO Public Safety Complex, at 16911 W. Laraway Road in Joliet. The drop box is available weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and located in the first floor lobby.
“Not everyone can come into the Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex to drop off their unwanted prescription medications,” Kelley said. “The Will County Sheriff’s Office wants to give residents other options to dispose of these unwanted medications properly.”
Residents can request Deterra pouches by sending an e-mail to deterra@willcosheriff.org. More information about the Deterra Drug Deactivation System is available on the Deterra system website.