Prescription drugs may not always seem as dangerous as drugs such as meth, cocaine or heroin, but controlled substances can have a grasp of addiction on a community all the same.
To curb local abuse of these medical drugs, the Alcohol and Addictions Resource Center provided three area police departments with prescription drop boxes. The South Bend, Mishawaka and Memorial Hospital police departments installed the boxes between December and January thanks to grant money from the Indiana Family and Social Service Administration.
The boxes each cost about $1,500, according to the AARC.
The intent is to collect unused and leftover prescriptions that may be sitting in a medicine cabinet or around the home, Sharon Burden, AARC executive director, said. Leftover medicine is often the easiest way for addicts, especially teens and young adults, to obtain their drugs, she said.
The priority for preventive measures against drug abuse came from a Comprehensive Community Plan developed in 2012 by the Partnership for Education and Prevention of Substance Abuse. The plan identified three significant issues within St. Joseph County, one of which was the increase of opiate abuse, both with prescription drugs and heroin, Jennifer Grubbs, an AARC program director, said.
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