NORTHAMPTON — In an effort to keep old or unwanted prescription medications out of the water supply or wrong hands, a drug collection drop box has been installed at the Smith College Public Safety office building.
Hampshire Sheriff Patrick Cahillane and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan joined Northampton and Smith College’s police chiefs along with college medical staff for a dedication ceremony late last month in the public safety lobby on West Street.
The drop box, which Sullivan described as being the first of its kind on a college campus in Hampshire County, was brought forth by the National Drug Take Back initiative, which is sponsored by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, the Hampshire Sheriff’s Office and Hampshire County Triad.
“We have a couple goals with the box: harm reduction and access for folks to dispose of unwanted medications appropriately, rather than have them end up down the toilet or sink,” Smith Police Lt. Steaphan Mish said. “We really want folks to utilize this anonymously — they can come in at any time. Our lobby is open 24/7. They can make their drops and not have to worry about unwanted meds in their possession any longer.”
On Oct. 24, National Drug Take Back Day collected 2,063 pounds of unwanted medications in Hampshire County and 572 pounds in Franklin County, according to Thomas Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office.
Cahillane noted that combating unused medication infiltrating waterways or getting into the wrong hands is a team effort, similar to the sheriff’s office’s joint efforts with the Veterans Affairs Office to mitigate homelessness and eviction.
“I was just speaking with some of the clinicians from the VA regarding trying to figure out some of their issues with homelessness and evictions. It’s a similar pattern of what happens,” Cahillane said. “We have those same discussions with the police chief — what do we need to do to help each other? Same process with the district attorney, same process with the college campuses — whether it’s the medical staff on the college campus, whether it’s the social work programs … all of these agencies work together for the good of the neighborhood.”
Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge, who was joined at the ceremony by Smith College Police Chief Jimi Nealy, spoke in support of the drug collection box, noting that the local police department has seen success with its box, now that it’s been stationed in the department lobby for more than 15 years.
Smith College Dr. Tara Dumont explained that aside from the box’s potential benefit as a means to protect waterways, it can also go a long way toward keeping dangerous medications out of the wrong hands.
“What a great convenience to have this on campus; it’s not at the local police department, it’s not even at a CVS that might not be open 24 hours a day, it’s on campus,” Dumont said. “Colleges are pressure cookers, and absolutely, if we can get drugs safely out of the hands of people who might not use them properly, that’s a harm reduction measure that is worth its weight in gold.”
