KAILUA-KONA — Lawmakers and law enforcement want to make it easier for the public to rid itself of unused prescription drugs as a way to stem the rising tide of addiction in the wake of the country’s opioid crisis.
Lt. Gov. Doug Chin on Monday announced a statewide collaboration to create a program through which people can dispose of prescription drugs at designated police stations across the islands.
The Hawaii Medication Drop Box Program is a public health and public safety partnership between the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration and police departments of the state’s four major counties. Federal, state and county resources will be employed to initiate and run the program.
“This is a game-changer for a serious public health issue,” Chin said. “We’re being proactive and making it easier to remove dangerous drugs from our homes, schools and streets 365 days a year.”
The Hawaii Medication Drop Box Program will supplement, not replace the national drug take back events that state and federal law enforcement plan to continue twice a year.
From 2010 to 2017, nearly 30,500 pounds of prescription drugs were collected here at previous events and disposed of safely.
“Not everyone can take advantage of national and state prescription drug take back events,” said First Deputy Attorney General Dana Viola. “We are pleased that the public can, at their convenience, safely dispose of unused and unwanted medications at the participating law enforcement agencies.”
In 2017, Gov. David Ige convened a statewide Opioid Initiative to prevent experiencing the alarming rate of opioid-related overdoses and deaths as seen in other states. The multi-agency collaboration resulted in an action plan, which included implementing a Medication Drop Box Program with the help of police departments in every county.
Each drop box is made of 14-gauge powder-coated steel and weighs 150 pounds. They measure 61 inches tall, 21.5 inches wide and 22 inches deep. Participating police departments are implementing the Drop Box Program on their respective islands according to their policies, protocols and designated locations.
“This Medication Drop Box Program is another means for local law enforcement to work collaboratively with the community in minimizing the accessibility and abuse of dangerous prescription drugs,” said Hawaii Police Department Chief Paul Ferreira. “I’m glad we can offer a safe and convenient alternative to disposing unwanted or expired medication.”
The program will also help deter the public from discarding expired medicine in the trash or down the toilet, polluting the environment. Proper disposal helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.
Hawaii Island police have already received eight drop boxes, while Maui Police have been given six and Kauai Police got three. Every steel drop box will be bolted into place and accessible to the public.
On Oahu, the public can drop off unused medication at the office of PSD’s State Narcotics Enforcement Division. NED will also coordinate with the county police departments to ensure the environmentally safe disposal of the unused drugs collected in the drop boxes.
The Honolulu Police Department is a participant but will not have drop boxes at its stations, for now. Through a federal grant, DOH purchased several drop boxes and there are nine boxes available when HPD is ready to implement the program.
Current locations of Hawaii Island drop boxes are the Kealakehe Police Station at 74-611 Hale Makai Place, the Hilo Station at 349 Kapiolani Street and the Puna Station at 15-2615 Keaau-Pahoa Highway.