Sen. Chapin & Rep. Case Welcome Pharmaceutical Drug Drop Box

Torrington – State Senator Clark Chapin and Representative Jay Case are happy to welcome the opening of a pharmaceutical drug drop box in the Torrington Police Department. Both legislators attended the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday morning to announce the launch of the city’s drug drop box program.

“This drop box provides a safe and secure way for people to dispose of old and unused medication,” said Sen. Chapin. “It is an important community resource that will help us keep pharmaceutical drugs from falling into the wrong hands.”

“If you or anyone you know needs to get rid of prescription drugs, I would implore you to take advantage of this drop-off box,” Rep. Case said. “Prescription drugs, when used improperly, can be very dangerous for the person using and their loved ones.”

Torrington’s police department and the McCall Foundation, a local substance abuse agency, collaborated to launch this drug collection program. In a city where heroin addiction is a widespread and sad reality, officials wanted to take steps to reduce prescription drug abuse, which often leads to more serious addictions.

In addition to the dangers of drug abuse, keeping pharmaceutical drugs around your home can be dangerous for many other reasons as well. Children or pets could consume medication by mistake, and flushing medication down the toilet can be harmful to the environment.

“The best way to eliminate the dangers is to completely remove old and unused drugs from your home. The police department drop box is an anonymous and accessible way to do just that,” said Chapin.

The drop box will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days per week and disposal is completely anonymous. The box can be found in the Torrington Police Department, located at 576 Main St.

Once collected, the Torrington Police Department will send the drugs to disposal facilities that use appropriate destruction methods.

The below list from Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection details what you can and cannot bring to the drop box.

You CAN dispose of:

• Over-the-counter medications
• Prescription medications
• Medication samples
• Medications for household pets
• Medicated lotions or ointments

You CANNOT dispose of:

• Needles or other “sharps”
• Hazardous waste
• Thermometers
• Personal care products (shampoo, etc.)