Free At-Home Drug Disposal Bags Now Available
CURRY COUNTY (KSMX)- The Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) is partnering with the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) in combating the opioid epidemic by providing free Deterra disposal bags. This is an alternative for community members to dispose of old, expired, and unused medications in the safety of their own homes.
Drugs including pills, patches, liquids and creams can be disposed of. Users will have to fill the pouch half-way with warm water and the drug they wish to discard. They will then have to wait 30 seconds, seal the pouch and gently shake it. The pouch can then be thrown away in any trash can and contains activated carbon which “firmly bonds to pharmaceuticals” which makes them unable to be retrieved.
Due to environmental concerns, disposing of old pills down the drain is deemed no longer safe. Deterra bags ensure that the drugs will not be able to leach into our water systems while also preventing the need for harmful incineration. The goal is to help prevent those medications from people who might abuse them.
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