Instead of flushing old or unwanted prescription drugs down the toilet or tossing them into the garbage can, Allegany County residents now have a much better, and safer, alternative.
The Maryland State Police barrack in LaVale and Frostburg Police Department are accepting unwanted prescription drugs 24 hours a day. Additionally, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department will take the drugs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs has long been a community problem. The issue was raised during a community-wide health needs assessment in the county conducted by the Western Maryland Health System and the Allegany County Health Department.
Substance abuse was the No. 5 priority identified in the assessment, so the coalition developed objectives to reduce drug-induced deaths and alcohol-related crashes. One goal is to decrease the number of unused, unwanted or expired medications in the community.
A Community Health Resource Commission grant through the health department was used to fund the drop boxes, which are available at Frostburg and Cumberland police departments, Maryland State Police barrack in LaVale and the county sheriff’s office.
“Prescription drugs have been a big issue in our community, and there have not been any permanent ways for people to get rid of unwanted, unused, or expired medications. Consequently ... people keep them in their cabinets where they’re accessible to people who shouldn’t get them,” said Dr. Sue Raver, county health officer.
There’s a better way now, thanks to this collaborative effort by health care providers and law enforcement agencies.
Editorials
Related Photos
-
Disposal plan
Disposal plan
Police will get rid of unwanted medications
- Editorials
-
-
Walk Smart
Many local residents will be visiting Ocean City this summer, so it is worth noting that the resort has launched a campaign that it hopes will keep pedestrians out of harm’s way.
-
Frostburg’s Bridge Program was important
After hearing rumors of possible changes being made, I just wanted to take a few minutes to put into words what the Frostburg Bridge Program meant to me as a child. Growing up in Frostburg, my parents were small business owners, my mother a teacher, and my father worked for the postal service.
-
Trailer case bound to increase scrutiny on town of Piedmont
This letter is in response to the recent story concerning the guilty plea entered in federal court by Piedmont’s town foreman (“Piedmont town foreman Shingler enters guilty plea,” May 21 Times-News, Page 1A).
-
Fixing community’s problems starts with your young people
I am writing this letter to the editor because I think our community really needs to work on plenty of issues. Some of them are:
-
High priority
Maryland school officials on Tuesday put an exclamation point on the need to take student-athlete concussions more seriously.
-
Cashing in
As anyone who lives in the area knows, economic gains have been hard to come by in recent years. The opening of the Rocky Gap Casino Resort is one of the biggest boosts the region has seen in some time.
-
Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
-
What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
-
School board should be doing better job with less money
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) board of directors recently submitted a letter to the editor asking the Allegany County commissioners to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year (“Commissioners should fund school board request,” April 29 Times-News).
-
Better ‘Click It’
If you notice more police on the highway this week, it’s for a couple of reasons.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
