Opioid epidemic's frontline workers to join Mount Washington Drug Take Back Day

If you drop off prescription pills in Mount Washington this weekend, you might see a few unfamiliar guests. 

They help people who are at risk for drug overdose, and they hope you'll chat with them about their work. They also might offer you "a Narcan kit to add to your first-aidkit," says Megan Gosney, social programs administrator for the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition.

Hamilton County Public Health's harm reduction team, equipped with Narcan and fentanyl test strips, and a representative of its Quick Response Team, which guides overdose survivors to treatment, will join the neighborhood's National Drug Take Back Day.

Counterfeit prescription pills fueling overdose deaths

"This community is just hungry to do something to help with addiction," explained Rick Meador, vice chair for the Mount Washington Cares Coalition, which heads the events.

Locations across region, country to take back prescription drugs

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Drug Take Back Day is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in 4,000 locations in the country including local sites. In Mount Washington, the safe drop-off point for unused, unwanted prescription pills will be in the HealthSource parking lot, 6131 Campus Lane. 

The Mount Washington Cares Coalition has been working closely with Prevention First, a nonprofit that provides drug-use prevention tools and tips throughout the region, for years. Meador said Hamilton County Public Health has been to the event with Narcan in the past. This time he's also welcomed the Quick Response Team for the first time.

Frontline epidemic workers want to 'normalize' their role

"They were looking for more organizations to join, and we volunteered our team," said Alyssa Boiman, a peer navigator for the Hamilton County Quick Response Team. She says she wants to normalize her role and answer questions residents may have about the team's role in alleviating the epidemic.

Jennifer Mooney, Hamilton County's assistant health commissioner, said the frontline workers want to meet residents: "Any opportunity that we can get to really address stigma and bust myths about harm reduction, we want to take."

Opioid use disorders often start with misusing prescription opioids, research shows. And most people who misuse prescription medication get the pills from someone in their family or a friend. The pills tend to pile up in bottles in medicine cabinets, left unused and unwanted, and the twice-yearly takeback days give people a chance to safely dispose of them.

The Mount Washington Cares Coalition alone collected 785 pounds of unwanted prescription medication during its Drug Take Back Days in 2019, 2020 and 2021, Meador said. Across the country, more than 15 million pounds of medication have been collected at the DEA events.

Those who drop by Mount Washington's event can get a "grab bag," Meador said, containing Deterra safe drug disposal bags, safe prescription medication storage containers, an addiction prevention flier and a copy of The Enquirer's recent story on fake prescription drugs that are pouring into the United States, including regionally.

Find a drop-off site near you

To find a Drug Take Back Day location near you, search online for DEA Drug Take Back and click on the link to find a collection site near you. Enter your ZIP code or city and you'll get a list of drop-off sites.

And if Saturday doesn't work for you, there are always safe disposal sites available. Ohioans can find a location on the Ohio Rx Disposal Map. In Kentucky, go to the Office of Drug Control Policy for a search by county.