Silver City, NM: A new weight scale was donated to the Silver City Police Department to aid with the influx of unused medications disposed of by the community at the MedReturn kiosk, located at 1106 N. Pope Street.

Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds said, "The program is working out well. The public has taken to heart getting rid of prescription medication."

The new TES electronic platform scale was donated by the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (YSAPC) as part of an effort to continue the safe removal of unused over-the-counter and prescription drugs at the new MedReturn kiosk, which was installed in June. The scale can weigh up to 600 pounds and is accurate to one-thousandth of a pound.

Silver City Police Detective Christine Starr oversees the MedReturn programs. Starr said initially the program received a small amount of medications, "but now we get three to five pounds a week dropped off." The Silver City Police Department has stepped up collections from the kiosk to deal with the popularity of the program.

Starr said, "From the medications collected, it looks like people are cleaning out their medicine cabinets, especially after a family member has passed away. Most of the prescriptions being disposed of are expired."

Over-the-counter and prescription medications usually have a short shelf life; if disposed of improperly they can become hazardous waste that pollutes the environment and contaminates the water supply, http://www.health-canada-pharmacy.com.

Left in medicine cabinets or homes, unused medications contribute to an epidemic of substance abuse and accidental poisonings if they fall into the wrong hands. The MedReturn program removes any chance of future misuse or pollution since the medications are destroyed using U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) protocols.

YSAPC Coordinator, Michael McGee stated, "I was really surprised by the amounts of medications being deposited in the kiosk. The police department went from collecting the medications in an evidence bag about the size of a gallon Ziploc bag to a half of a 32-gallon trash bag from the kiosk in Silver City. That's a half a trash can full in just one week's time."

Chief Reynolds summarizes the program's goals, "The more medications in our box, the less on our streets."

McGee adds, "Our next step is to give informational post cards to the areas pharmacies, hospice agencies, and funeral homes so that people can know what to do with medications in their homes, such as locking them up. We are also doing out-reaches with the Senior Centers to pass out personal prescription lock boxes."

The MedReturn kiosk accepts: prescription drugs, prescription patches, prescription medications, prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, samples, and medications for pets.

The kiosk doesn't accept needles/sharps, inhalers, hydrogen peroxide, aerosol cans or medical waste. Sharps and needles can be disposed of at the Grant County Public Health office, 2610 N. Silver St.

The YSAPC is composed of 25 service providers and invested community members dedicated to creating an environment that cultivates healthy productive lifestyles through policy and advocacy change that promotes resilient and empowered youth.

The Coalition is a program of the Town of Silver City, funded by a grant from the New Mexico Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.

For more information on the YSAPC call (575) 597-7118 or email: ysapccoordinator@silvercitymail.com.