Beauty queen partners with Copperas Cove Police Department for Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Special to Leader-Press

Last year alone, more than 10 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Miss Five Hills Jazmine Hendricks partnered with the Copperas Cove Police Department for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday. 
“A lot of people hoard medications, as they don’t know what to do with them,” said Hendricks who works at Darnell Army Medical Center. “I liked being able to give people an opportunity to clean out their medicine cabinets, without much effort on their parts, and simply bring them to the police station.” 
The National Take Back Initiative in the United States began in 2010 and occurs twice annually, in the spring and in the fall, across the nation after Congress approved legislation that amended the Controlled Substances Act. This action provided the DEA with the option to develop a permanent process for people to safely and conveniently dispose of their prescription drugs.
However, in Copperas Cove, residents can drop off their unused prescription drugs at the poice station every day of the year. 
“I was expecting a crowd of people coming in to the police station to get rid of their unwanted prescriptions since Saturday was the nationally recognized day,” Hendricks said. “But, that wasn’t the case, but for the best reason. People stop in daily and drop off the medications in a bin in the lobby.”
Copperas Cove resident Jeannie Kasper, who also works at a nursing home in the community, brought in several unwanted prescription drugs. 
“It is a very good idea to properly discard your outdated prescription medication due to the possibility of it being taken by another person and ultimately causing a serious reaction,” Kasper said.
The Copperas Cove prescription drug bin receives 20-30 pounds of medications per month, according to police officials. 
“This was great to hear because that means that citizens in the community know that it is just as unsafe to throw away or flush as it is to hoard medications in their cabinets,” Hendricks said. 
“Many people do realize they can’t throw away or flush medications due to the harms that can cause environmentally. However, not many understand the dangers of leaving them in cabinets. By partnering with the Cove Police Department, I was able to bring awareness to this hidden danger so more people know how and where to get rid of their unwanted medications as well as the potential risks of the alternative. I am glad I was able to be part of the solution today with the Copperas Cove Police Department.”