Gresham to collect old prescription drugs Nov. 7

Free event aims to keep medication out of water supply, abusers’ hands

By Mara Stine

The Gresham Outlook, Oct 30, 2009, Updated Nov 3, 2009

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In an effort to keep prescription drugs out of the water system, and away from those who want to abuse them, Gresham is hosting a prescription drug collection Saturday, Nov. 7, at Gresham City Hall.

It’s a free event organized by the Gresham Police Department, Greater Gresham Area Prevention Partnership, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center and Veolia Water, which manages and operates the city’s wastewater treatment center.

The reason for the event is twofold, said city spokeswoman Laura Bridges-Shepard.

“Number one is we don’t want prescription drugs getting into the water supply here,” due to people flushing unused or expired pills or personal care products down the toilet or sink, she said. A national study of 139 streams in 30 states found prescription drugs in 80 percent of samples.

Locally, a one-day study of wastewater entering 96 city treatment centers in Oregon, including those in Gresham and Sandy, revealed that each city’s wastewater contained measurable levels of methamphetamine.

Eighty percent contained cocaine, and less than half showed measurable levels of Ecstasy.

“Secondly, prescription drug abuse is amazingly serious for teens,” Bridges-Shepard said. “They think they’re safe because doctors prescribe them.”

The estimated number of Americans abusing prescription drugs has jumped 80 percent from 3.8 million in 2000 to 7 million in 2006, according to The Partnership for a Drug Free America. That’s more than the estimated number of those abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy and inhalants combined.

There also has been a dramatic increase in poisonings and deaths associated with prescription and over-the-counter drug use. Last December, an 18-year-old Damascus woman died when she smoked an Oxycodone pill, which was illegally purchased from a Troutdale man.

Those 12 to 17 years old are the fastest-growing group of prescription drug abusers, and they swap drugs found at home at “pharm parties.”

All prescription medications will be accepted “no questions asked” regarding who the prescription is for or the type or amount brought in, Gresham Police Chief Craig Junginger said. “This is a public safety issue. We want to keep unused prescription drugs from being misused, and we also want to help keep them out of the water supply.”

Those bringing prescription drugs to the Nov. 7 event are encouraged to keep them in their original bottles, but to black out any personal information on the bottle.

Gresham police will categorize and weigh what’s collected for statistical purposes before incinerating it.