VWSO participates in Drug Take Back Day

VW independent/submitted information

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach has announced that this Saturday, April 27, his office will again be participating in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  

The Sheriff’s Office is working in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to give Van Wert County residents another opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs, while also helping prevent pill abuse and theft.  

Residents can bring their pills for disposal to the Sheriff’s Office, 113 N. Market St. in Van Wert, at any time this Saturday. This is a free service and residents can remain anonymous when dropping off medications, no questions asked.

Sheriff Riggenbach reminds residents the Sheriff’s Office is no longer able to accept liquid medications, new or used needles or syringes, or other non-pill forms of medication. The sheriff said his office will continue to receive medications in pill form.  

Sheriff Riggenbach asks residents to remove the pill medications from the bottles or blister packs and put the pills in a bag or box before bringing the pill medications to the Sheriff’s Office. Residents can then remove all labels containing identifying information from the bottles and blister packs before throwing the empty bottles and blister packs in the trash. 

County residents should then make all personal information on the labels illegible before throwing the labels in the trash. The sheriff also said his office cannot receive pill form medications from businesses.  

“The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an initiative that addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” Sheriff Riggenbach noted. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.” 

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans’ usual methods of disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards.

The sheriff also said that, as part of this initiative, his office will continue to accept prescription medications from residents throughout the year.