WICHITA, Kan. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports opioid overdoses kill 115 Americans every day.
Safe Streets Wichita says one way to fight the nationwide problem is simple: Keep the drugs away from people who shouldn't have them. This solution may seem like a no-brainier to say, but enforcement often isn't so simple.
To help with this, Safe Streets Wichita is doing its part to make disposing of unneeded prescription drugs easier. It's doing so through the installation of MedSafe boxes. Safe Streets installed one box at the Dandurand Drugstore near Central and Rock Road, part of a partnership between the local organization and the drugstore.
Saf Sstreets says the MedSafe at Dandurand is the third permanent medication drop-off box in Wichita and Sedgwick County. The other two permanent drop-off locations are at Walgreens stores at Central and Hillside and Central and Maize Road.
"Over 70,237 people died in the United States from drug overdoses in 2017," Safe Streets says. "That is 72,237 American families wrenched by grief and despair."
Kathy Deane, working with Safe Streets and celebrating nearly 30 years of recovery from drug abuse, knows how dangerous opioids can be. She says it's critical for people to get rid of opioids the right way.
She says she's encouraged with opportunities to make a difference for others in the community.
"It feels really good because I know that it can end up on the streets, kids pass them around, the sell them, people have overdoses," she says. "I just want to encourage people to maybe take that action."
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