Lorain County Task Force collects a ton of drugs in six months

Lorain County residents got rid of more than 2,000 pounds of prescription drugs in six short months.

On Saturday, the Lorain County Drug Task Force collected 2,257 pounds of prescription medications that residents had deposited since September in the 14 drug drop boxes in Lorain County.

The drop boxes, installed at police stations around the county in 2008, serve as a safe way for Lorain County residents to get rid of their medications. They provide a safer alternative to flushing the drugs and prevent people from using the drugs illegally, Lorain County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Dennis Cavanaugh said.

Elyria, Amherst and Lorain had the most drop offs this year. Members of the task force collected around 350 pounds of drugs from the Elyria drop box, around 300 from Amherst and around 300 from Lorain.

While the amount they collected is substantial in addition to about 1,700 pounds they collected in September, it’s still only a part of the problem, Cavanaugh said.

“It’s a good amount to remove … but it shows how much is out there,” he said, adding that most Lorain County residents don’t use the drop box to get rid of their pills and unused syringes.

The program has grown since it was started in 2008 and while Cavanaugh said he hopes more people will use the drop boxes to get rid of their pills, 2,000 pounds is still a good amount to get out of the community.

“Anything that we can get off the street has somewhat of an impact,” Cavanaugh said.