There's Now a Medication Disposal Bin at the Courthouse, Part of a New Anti-Opioid Campaign from Sheriff's Office and RX Safe Humboldt

There’s Now a Medication Disposal Bin at the Courthouse, Part of a New Anti-Opioid Campaign from Sheriff’s Office and RX Safe Humboldt

Humboldt County Sheriff’ Billy Honsal and members of the RX Safe Humboldt alliance.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and RX Safe Humboldt are teaming up to protect the next generation from a lifetime of addiction.

On July 6, 2018, the Sheriff’s Office and RX Safe Humboldt launched a new anti-opioid campaign titled “Heroin in your Home: The Danger Within Your Cabinet.” This campaign comes after Humboldt County stood up to opioid manufacturers, signing on to a lawsuit holding drug manufacturers accountable for the national opioid addiction epidemic.
The Sheriff’s Office recently took a stand for Humboldt County children, signing a letter created by Fight Crime:Invest in Kids California urging Congress to take action to address addiction and prioritize funding for infants and children affected by opioids.

The drop box.
As part of this new campaign, the Sheriff’s Office has installed a medication disposal bin in the lobby of the Humboldt County Courthouse’s Fourth Street entrance. The location of this bin allows members of the public to drop off unused, unwanted or expired medications while taking care of other errands at the courthouse. The medication bin will be accessible to the community during business hours of the Humboldt County Courthouse, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., excluding holidays.
The purchase of this bin was generously funded by RX Safe Humboldt and was facilitated by the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Public Health Division. DHHS has also committed to assist the Sheriff’s Office in properly destroying all medications deposited into the bin.
The Sheriff’s Office believes a part of the solution to the growing opioid epidemic is to curb addiction at its source. Eighty percent of heroin users first began their addiction with prescription drugs. Many of those drugs were obtained from a relative or friend.
Prescription opioids can be just as addictive as heroin, possessing similar chemical qualities as the street drug. Unused, unwanted or expired medications sitting in your home are a silent danger, waiting to fall into the wrong hands. The community can help protect the next generation by properly disposing of these medications, decreasing the chance for the prescriptions to be abused.
Join the Sheriff’s Office and RX Safe Humboldt in protecting the next generation. For more information regarding prescription opioid abuse in Humboldt County, medication bin locations and resources to help overcome an addiction, visit rxsafehumboldt.org.