The U.S. Poison Control Center receives about 500,000 calls per year about young children who take drugs that were not intended for them. In most cases, the drugs belonged to a parent or grandparent. According to Safekids.org, 64,000 children go to the emergency room due to accidental poisoning. It is critical that all medications, both prescription and over the counter, are placed up and away from children’s reach and out of sight. Another way to protect children is to make sure all drugs that are not being used are being disposed of, totally removing them from the residence. In North Royalton, there are two very easy options.
Saturday, April 29, is Medication Take-Back Day in North Royalton. This event has been established to not only prevent accidental poisoning and misuse, but to also protect the environment. The event is sponsored by the Partnership for a Healthy North Royalton (PHNR), the North Royalton Police Department, The North Royalton Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) and STAND (Students Together Against Negative Decisions). Amy Kuntz, PHNR Coordinator, noted that there have been about ten of these events so far. “This is the second time we’ve offered two locations in order to reach a broader range of people,” she said.
It couldn’t be easier! Residents can drive through and drop off their unneeded and/or expired pills for safe disposal at two locations in North Royalton from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The locations are at Timber Ridge Plaza, located at 9199 Sprague Road, at the corner of York Road; or at the Giant Eagle Plaza, located at 6000 Royalton Road, at the corner of State Road.
Both prescription and over the counter pills will be accepted for disposal. However, no liquids, needles or syringes will be accepted. For more information, visit www.phnr.org or call 440-582-7834.
If you miss the event, there is another option that is available all year round. Residents can drop off their unused, expired or unwanted medications at the North Royalton Police Department. In the lobby of the North Royalton Police Department, residents will find an Rx Drug Drop Box, similar in size to a mail box. Anyone can drop off any type of prescription or over-the-counter pills and patches. Needles, liquid medication, or biohazard materials are prohibited. “They can either just take off the label of the bottle, or place the medication in a plastic bag and drop it in,” said North Royalton Safety Director, Bruce Cambpell. There is no paperwork involved, and is easy as mailing a letter. Just come in, drop it in the box, and go. According to Campbell, thirty pounds of medications are dropped in one week.
“This is something we wanted to do, plus it fits in with the goals of the Partnership for a Healthy North Royalton,” said Campbell. The Partnership’s mission is to engages the community in identifying and reducing the abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs through communication, support and education.
By taking the drugs out of the homes, the garbage and the waterways, the drop box addresses not only a safety issue, but a public health issue as well. The box provides a way out of the medicine cabinet, where is could be misused or abused, said Campbell. The box is emptied weekly, weighed and stored until it is ultimately disposed.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer