Drug takeback event in Washington County highlights National Prescription Drug Takeback Day
CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- Saturday is National Prescription Drug Takeback Day.
Many places in the Pittsburgh area held events where people could drop off unwanted prescriptions with no questions asked. Some of those places were in Washington County.
For Shenna Wood, a day like Saturday is personal for her.
"My clean date is Aug. 4, 2014. I just celebrated 10 years clean and sober," Wood said.
She now works for the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission.
"It just keeps me very humble and blessed," Wood said.
Wood was one of three manning a table. She and others hoped to keep unwanted medications in collection boxes, and out of the wrong places.
"It removes the possibility of It getting into a child's hands or someone elderly that may have memory issues, may take medication without knowing," Erin Dixon, Center of Excellence Supervisor at the WDAC, said.
Saturday is also about knowing and informing, not just collecting.
"I didn't have any [medications] to bring in here today, but I do have patients that need to know places to take their unused drugs," said Miriam Miller, a registered nurse with UPMC.
Two of these events are held yearly in the county, but the work to fight against the opioid crisis continues every day.
"A lot of people come here to get into recovery, and a lot of people stay in recovery in Washington," Dixon said.
For Wood, it's also about trying to break a stigma.
"I am somebody who works full time, I got married, I'm currently in school full-time to get my social work degree, so we do recover," Wood said.
There are plenty of places in Washington County where you can return unwanted medications year-round.
Here's a list of the locations:
- Bentleyville Municipal Building: 900 Main Street, Bentleyville, Pa.
- California Borough Police Department: 225 Third Street, California, Pa.
- PennWest California: 250 University Avenue, California, Pa.
- Canonsburg Police Department: 68 East Pike Street, Canonsburg, Pa.
- Carroll Twp. Police Department: 130 Baird Street, Monongahela, Pa.
- Cecil Twp. Police Department: 3599 Millers Run Road, Suite 102, Cecil, Pa.
- Charleroi Regional Police Department: 338 Fallowfield Avenue, Charleroi, Pa.
- Donegal Police Department: 34 N. Liberty Street, West Alexander, Pa.
- McDonald Police Department: 151 School Street, McDonald, Pa.
- McDonald Police – Burgettstown Station: 1509 Main Street, Burgettstown, Pa.
- Monongahela Police Department: 451 W. Main Street, Monongahela, Pa.
- North Strabane Police Department: 1929 Route 519 South, Canonsburg, Pa.
- Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital: 1163 Country Club Road, Monongahela, Pa.
- Peters Township Police Department: 200 Municipal Drive, McMurray, Pa.
- Smith Township Police Department: 1848 Smith Township, Slovan, Pa.
- South Strabane Police Department: 9 Smith Drive, Washington, Pa.
- Southwest Regional Police Department: 212 State Street, Belle Vernon, Pa.
- Washington City Police Department: 56 W. Strawberry Avenue, Washington, Pa.
- Washington & Jefferson College: 60 South Lincoln Street, Washington, Pa.
- West Brownsville Police Department: 235 Main Street, West Brownsville, Pa.