The days of crammed medicine cabinets and countertops are over, at least in five Connecticut towns. The Department of Consumer Protection, the Lower Fairfield County Regional Action Council, and five local police departments are piloting an ongoing collection program for unwanted, outdated medication.

After hosting multiple drug collection days where residents turned in hundreds of pounds of old prescriptions and other drugs for safe disposal, the towns of Greenwich, Ridgefield, Newtown, Wilton, and New Canaan decided to make the collection process permanent. Their Regional Action Council, the Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division and the five local police departments developed a plan that would provide greatest access to the community at the most reasonable cost to the towns.

“Ribbon cutting” to launch the drop box at the New Canaan Police Department,  L-R: State Rep. John Hetherington; Chief of Police Ed Nadriczny; First Selectman Jeb Walker; DCP Deputy Commissioner Michelle Seagull; DCP Drug Control Director John Gadea; New Canaan Director of Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Kathleen Holland; and Emergency Medical Technician Jim Holland.

 The group decided to place a locked, well marked drug collection bin in local police departments. Residents of Green-wich, Ridgefield and New Canaan can now discard their unwanted or unused medicines into the lockbox any time the police department lobby is open. Newtown and Wilton are in the approval stage. Residents need not complete forms nor answer questions about the items they drop off; however, the boxes do not accept needles or liquid medications.

The drop-box idea is one that Drug Control Director John Gadea expects will soon catch on in other towns.

“This program is the first of its kind in Connecticut and sets a precedent for what other towns may do about drug disposal,” Gadea said. “We’ve been hearing from residents, local police departments and health care providers who want to launch this program in their communities. There’s only a one-time $500 to $600 cost for the drug dropbox; some towns are exploring fundraisers or asking for corporate donations, which brings the cost down to virtually nothing.”

Since the medicines are being left within the police station, they are considered “Law Enforcement Abandoned Property,” and as such, the town is not charged incineration fees to burn the items.

Gadea said his office is putting the final touches on an official protocol that can be used by towns wishing to establish a secure, local drug drop-box. It will be posted in September at www.ct.gov/dcp.

Interested in learning more? Contact Department of Consumer Protection Drug Control Division at (860) 713- 6065 or contact the Regional Action Council closest to your home:

ANSONIA: Valley Substance Abuse Action Council   (203) 736-8566      E-Mail: pmautte@bghealth.org

BETHEL: Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse  (203) 743-7741

E-Mail:housatonic.valley@snet.net

BLOOMFIELD: Capital Area Substance Abuse Council    (860) 286-9333        E-Mail: executivedirector@casac.org

BRIDGEPORT: Regional Youth/Adult Social Action Project    (203) 579-2727     E-Mail: janlaster@aol.com

EAST HARTFORD: East of the River Action for Substance Abuse Elimination    (860) 568-4442

E-Mail: bonnie.smith@erasect.org

DAYVILLE: Northeast Communities Against Substance Abuse     (860) 779-9253      E-Mail: necasa@snet.net

MIDDLETOWN: Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council   (860) 347-5959   E-Mail: betsey@mcsaac.org

NEW BRITAIN: Substance Abuse Action Council of Central CT, Inc.   (860) 826-1358      E-Mail: saac1@aol.com

NORWALK: Mid Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition     (203) 849-1111      E-Mail: lcooper@hscct.org

STAMFORD: Lower Fairfield County Regional Action Council   ( 203) 356-1980

E-Mail: rac@liberationprograms.org

UNCASVILLE: Southeastern Regional Action Council      (860) 848-2800      E-Mail: serac.ed@sbcglobal.net

WALLINGFORD: Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council    (203) 294-3591  E-Mail: MAWSAC@aol.com

WATERBURY: Central Naugatuck Valley Regional Action Council    (203) 578-4044

E-Mail: jdewitt.FIC@sbcglobal.net

Visit The CT Prevention Network’s web page for the state’s Regional Action Councils (RACs).