In an attempt to head off troubles before they start, with regard to prescription drug abuse, Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater says he’s pleased to announce the addition of a Prescription Drug drop box to the lobby of the Adair County Public Safety Center.  The drug drop box is available 24 hours a day. If you arrive after business hours or if they lobby door is locked, just inform the dispatcher on the intercom of your desire to use the drug drop box and they will let you in. If any Adair County resident has difficulty or a hardship in getting to the Adair County Public Safety Center, you are welcome to call Sheriff Jeff Vandewater directly at (641) 743-2148, and he will make arrangements to personally pick up and dispose of your unneeded or unwanted prescription drugs.  The prescription drug drop-off box is made possible through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy. 

Prescription drug diversion can be defined as the unlawful transfer of prescription drugs to people they were not originally prescribed for. Prescription drug abuse is a very real concern, even here in mostly rural Adair County.  The misuse of prescription drugs, especially narcotic painkillers (opioids) can have serious consequences.  When not used as directed, prescription drugs can lead to behavioral disorders, addiction and even death.   One of the biggest steps that we can take to avoid prescription drug diversion is to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or are outdated.

These same drugs unfortunately have become the target of theft and misuse, often times by people who have access to the residence where the prescription drugs are stored.  America’s 12-17 year olds have made prescription drugs the number one substance of abuse for their age group, and much of that supply is unwittingly coming from the medicine cabinets of their parents, grandparents and friends.