To keep unneeded prescription drugs out of the hands of the wrong people, the Sully Fire Department hosts a no-questions-asked drug drop from time to time. Now, the Newton Police Department has announced its placement of a permanent medication drop box located inside the lobby of the police department at 101 West 4th Street South.
Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess said the drop box was made possible through a small grant from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy to address the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse.
The drop box will be accessible to the public during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Prescription drug abuse is Iowa’s fastest-growing form of substance abuse, and addiction to powerful pain relievers is also fueling more heroin use.
Prescription pain pills and heroin are both opioid drugs. The combination is contributing to an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa and the U.S.
“Many people become addicted to prescription drugs because they started using a family member’s leftover prescriptions. Once addicted, some of these individuals may then eventually move to heroin to fulfill that addiction,” Burdess said.
