SRMTP Raise Awareness for Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic and Permanent Drop Box

At the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Station on Saturday, September 29th, Det. Sgt. Matt Rourke, in his much “too powerful to be photographed” Montreal Canadian’s hat, waited and accepted unused prescription medications. This “Drug Take Back” was a joint effort of the SRMT Police, the U.S. Attorney’s office and the Plattsburgh DEA office, to raise awareness for the growing prescription drug abuse epidemic.

According to the National Institute of Health’s National Institute for Drug Abuse in 2010, 1 in 12 high school seniors admitting to taking prescription drugs for non-therapeutic reasons, and most had received them from friends or a relative. The nationwide statistics are around 2.7 % of the population or 7 million. It is clear that prescription drug abuse is a problem, particularly in our own community.

The joint effort allowed the prescriptions to be collected and secured by local law enforcement, and the DEA office out of Plattsburgh would then pick up the secured medication later in the day, following the Drug Take Back. The event was also to raise awareness for the permanent prescription drop box located inside the station, also part of that joint effort between agencies.

“Everything goes as is, it’s all sealed, so you can leave the labels on, and they are disposed of tomorrow. We are doing it every quarter, but just recently the U.S. Attorney’s office and DEA have set up a permanent drop box located inside the station. This event is to promote the permanent drop box.”

Rourke estimated the next drug take back to occur this December or January. By all means, do not wait until the next Drug Take Back to dispose of your medications, utilize the permanent box at your convenience.