Press release

from Buncombe County Schools

The school year is starting with a special emphasis on student and family safety, thanks to a local initiative sponsoring the second community-wide "Drop Off Your Drugs" event on Wednesday, September 26 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at ALL Buncombe County/Asheville City middle schools and select fire stations.

Now through September 26, over 10,000 special bright yellow “Drop Off Your Drugs” bags are available on checkout counters at all Buncombe County Ingles stores, provided free of charge by Ingles and the Partnership for Substance Free Youth in Buncombe County. The public is encouraged to pick up a free bag, follow the instructions imprinted on the them, and bring bags with unneeded medications to any Buncombe County or Asheville City Middle School, along with Evergreen Community and Artspace Charter Schools, and three fire stations: Barnardsville main fire station, Leicester Fire Station #2, and Broad River Fire Station. Only adults should transport the bags, not students!

Buncombe County Schools, Asheville City Schools, Evergreen Community Charter School, and Artspace Charter School are joining law enforcement, health, fire, and community non-profits, parents, and students to sponsor this massive community drug drop-off event. Last June, more than 150 pounds of pills were collected and properly disposed of during the June 1, 2012 event. The coalition aims to double the collections this fall.

Every day, across the nation, 2,500 of America's youth abuse a prescription drug for the first time. Death by drug overdose now surpasses traffic fatalities. A national study from Columbia University found that it is easier for youth to purchase prescription pills than beer, as 34% of surveyed teens report that pills are readily available in their homes, medicine cabinets, and homes of relatives. Buncombe County wants to stop the national trend of increased accessibility of prescription pills by helping families safely and anonymously dispose of unused medications.

School Resource Officers will be on hand from 7am until 11am on Wednesday, September 26th at all designated school locations to accept the unused medications and dispose of them properly. ONLY ADULTS SHOULD BRING MEDICATIONS TO THE SCHOOLS…THEY MUST NOT BE SENT WITH STUDENTS. Drop off locations include: A.C. Reynolds Middle, Asheville Middle, Cane Creek Middle, Erwin Middle, Enka Middle, North Buncombe Middle, Owen Middle, Valley Springs Middle, Evergreen Community Charter School and ArtSpace Charter School from 7-11am on the 26th. Drop off bags can also be brought to the Barnardsville main fire station, Leicester Fire Station #2, and Broad River Fire Station.

The public is asked to please remember these important rules for pill drop-off:

1. Remove all identification from medications and empty the dry pill medications into one of the YELLOW bags.
2. Remove all identification from liquid medications, LEAVE them in their original container, and place in a YELLOW bag.
3. Separate pill, liquids and inhalers into separate bags. Use a different bag for each type of medication (any bag will do).
4. NO Radioactive medications such as cancer medications are accepted.
5. NO needles or sharps.
6. ONLY ADULTS are allowed to drop off Prescription Medicine. DO NOT send the bags or any medicine with students to be dropped off.