VIRGINIA BEACH — In an effort to help residents get rid of unwanted, unused, or expired medications and to ensure that they don’t accidentally fall into the wrong hands, the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health has partnered with the Department of Geospatial Information Services to create an interactive map of existing drug take back locations.
“Opioid abuse has reached epidemic proportions both nationally and in Virginia,” said Dr. Heidi Kulberg, director for the health department. She said there were 1,227 opioid related overdose deaths in Virginia last year, 230 of those in Hampton Roads.
There were 61 opioid related overdoses last year in Virginia Beach, with 33 involving prescription opioids. The overall number is down from 72 in 2016.
However, statewide last year 504 overdoses involved prescription opioids, up from 472 the year before.
It is estimated that more than two-thirds of people who abuse prescription medications get them from family and friends. Likewise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 60,000 visits to emergency rooms are made each year by children younger than 5 for unintentional medication overdoses.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most common prescription opioids are:
- hydrocodone (Vicodin)
- oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet)
- oxymorphone (Opana)
- morphine (Kadian, Avinza)
- codeine
- fentanyl
There are eight permanent “secure” drug take back boxes located throughout Virginia Beach, at which drugs can be dropped off year-round. They’re monitored and emptied regularly.
The health department also added that disposing of unwanted drugs in the take back locations can also help mitigate the environmental concerns associated with flushing drugs down the toilet, which can lead to their presence in surface and ground water.
