Deterra helping to deter growth of opioid abuse

Deterra helping to deter growth of opioid abuse
File

With the growing problem of the abuse of prescription drugs, the need to create ways to deter theft and abuse is growing more important every day.

                        

As the war on slowing down the theft and reselling of prescription drugs continues to haunt America, even small-town rural places like Holmes and Wayne counties, educating the public on this growing trend and finding ways to deter in-home thefts of outdated drugs is a priority for those in the health and wellness field.

A simple packet could now hold the key to safely eliminating unwanted drugs.

The new drug deactivation system, Deterra, has been created to help people safely and easily dispose of outdated and unused drugs.

Deterra is safe and convenient because the drugs being disposed of and the chemicals being used are all contained within the package in which Deterra comes. More importantly, it is an effective way to safely dispose of drugs, rather than throwing them away, burying them underground or flushing them down the toilet.

The directions to using Deterra are simple and are printed on the back of the package. By simply tearing open the pouch, filling it halfway to activate the chemicals inside, and sealing it and gently shaking it, the drugs inside will be rendered harmless.

Deterra is powered by a patented molecular adsorption technology, an environmentally friendly system that has proven to neutralize pills, liquids and patches. The regular-size packet is designed to neutralize up to 15 pills, 2 ounces of liquid or two patches.

Judy Wood, executive director of Mental Health and Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes County, said the objective of people stealing drugs from homes and reselling them has been growing and doesn’t look like it will slow any time soon. Thus, she said these types of disposal packets are critical to not only disposing of these drugs properly, but also keeping them out of the hands of thieves looking to make a score for resale.

“Research in the past year has shown very young children getting access to prescription drugs,” Wood said. “We have seen some very serious situations at the local level, and while you are doing a good job in prevention, there are still many concerns with other drugs coming in.”

Wood said the Deterra bags are best for the disposal of products with opioids in them because the bags dissolve them almost immediately, keeping those drugs out of the hands of those looking to make money by stealing drugs during either a home invasion or even visits by children and grandchildren who are taking drugs secretly from their family homes.

“We’re trying a lot of different attempts to limit the access,” Wood said. “We have been supplying realtors with these and have met with a number of them who have put them to use in homes.”

Wood said that in asking when they should begin educating children on the evils of prescription drug use, experts told them the process can begin as early as children entering school.

“We take every opportunity to create learning and promote prevention methods,” Wood said.

Holmes County health commissioner Michael Derr said his department has been handing out Deterra to hospice workers, encouraging them to dispose of unused, unwanted medication while tending to their clients.

“A lot of times when people pass away, the family isn’t sure what to do with the drugs,” Derr said. “A lot of the illicit drug use and theft comes at the end-of-life care and pain-management care, and family members and even middle-aged people are stealing and selling prescription drugs. It is a problem that has afflicted all age groups.”

He said they have a limited supply of trial Deterra that people can get at the health department, but they continue to hand them out to select county workers from organizations like hospice or local funeral homes, providing those workers with larger bags that can dispose of close to 50 pills.

“People don’t realize how big this issue is right now,” Derr said, noting there also are drug disposal drop boxes located in the county, one being at the Village of Millersburg Police Office.

He said anyone utilizing the drop boxes should never remove the pills and dump them into a bag or box together because it could be construed as illegal activity if someone were to do that and get pulled over on their way to a drop.

“It raises too many questions, so this is certainly a great alternative,” Derr said. “People have to realize one thing: Abuse and theft of prescription drugs can happen anywhere. It happens to good families, to families who are impoverished, affluent people, those with or without addiction in the family. Anyone could fall prey.”

He said most drug dealers don’t do drugs, so they are stealing solely for the economic value. Utilizing proper disposal alternatives are a fine place to help deter that.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load