The medication drop boxes in McKean County yielded 134.8 pounds of unused or expired medication for the third quarter of the year.
That’s an increase of 45.4 pounds from the second quarter, said McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. County detectives collect the medication and turn it over to the state attorney general’s office for disposal.
“The medication drop boxes are a huge benefit to our county,” Shaffer said. “Prior to their installation, residents of the county had to wait for a timed community event to dispose of medication which was usually only done once per year. This resulted in nearly all of us keeping old medication indefinitely. And, most importantly, made it accessible to anyone visiting our homes.”
The boxes have been in place for a few years.
“People continue to use them regularly as you can see from the weight of the medication that is collected,” Shaffer said. “Experts have pointed to unauthorized access to unused medication as a factor in our current drug problem. Any step we can take to prevent addiction is a necessary step. I’m glad people continue to use them.”
Each box contained the following during this collection: Bradford City Police Station, open 24/7, collected 72 pounds; Bradford Township Police Department, open M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 12.2 pounds; Kane Borough Police Station, open M-F 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 10.6 pounds; Sheriff’s Department, open M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 35.4 pounds; State Police Barracks, open 24/7, 4.6 pounds.
The boxes in McKean County were sponsored by the PA District Attorney’s Association. The box in Kane was sponsored by the PA American Water Company.
Anyone who suspects illegal drug activity is encouraged to contact the McKean County Drug Task Force at MCDTFtip@gmail.com or (814) 887-3312. Tips can also be submitted at McKeanDA.org.
