We CARE Drug Disposal Program

Background About Madison County's Drug Disposal Bag Program
Addiction to drugs or other substances is a type of chronic and mental health disease.  Drugs change the brain's chemistry and often times change a person's entire personality.  Families often say they don't understand how their family member could change so drastically.  In response to the continuing opioid and drug epidemic in Madison County, We CARE and Madison County Public Health launced the drug disposal bag program in early 2018.  

We CARE's Drug Disposal Bag Program as a Way to Help
Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that nearly one out of every three people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time began by using a prescription drug for non-medical purposes.  What this really means is that many people who end up using illegal opioids (such as heroin) start by using prescription drugs that were never intended for them.  We CARE and Madison County Public Health decided that if we could get rid of unused drugs we might be able to help stop some people from heading down the path of other illegal drugs.  In an effort to make disposal of unwanted or unneeded prescription (and illegal) drugs incredibly easy for residents, Madison County sought-out and received a generous donation of drug disoposal bags from Deterra. 

Where Disposal Bags Have Been Distributed
We are continuously working to distribute these disposal bags in the community.  We still encourage residents to dispose of bags at local law enforcement agencies and also at some pharmacies.  The disposal bags are just a super convenient way to get rid of old or unsed drugs at home on your time.  We've distributed the bags to churches, every pharmacy in the county, physician offices, social service agencies, senior centers, local drug coalitions, health fairs, to realtors, at festivals, and to our first responders (including law enforcement and EMS).  With the help of more than a dozen community members, We CARE selected these locations because these places would regularly hit our target audience of those with unsed prescriptions, those with kids at home, and places where people who are using drugs might be located.  We would love to get your input and feedback for additional places to provide bags.  You can click here to fill out a short form to let us know of a new location for the drug disposal bags.


Where You Can Find Disposal Bags
Look around town for displays that look like this!  Besides the locations mentioned above, you can walk-in to Madison County Public Health (located at 306 Lafayette Street in London next to TSC and across fron Los Mariachis) or Madison County Department of Job and Family Services (200 Midway Street in London) any weekday during the regular business hours of 8:30AM to 4:00PM.  Bags are completely free of charge.  We only ask that you take a reasonable number of bags.  Bags may not be sold.  Bags also come with a response card that you can complete and drop in the mail once you use the bag.

A Little Bit More About the Disposal Bags
Deterra disposal bags are one of the simplest ways to keep drugs out of the hands of kids and adults who do not need them.  In a simple 3-step process, drugs an be deactivated and unavailable for misuse.  Simply add the drugs to the bag, add water, and seal and toss in the trash.  The bags are also safe for the environment.  To read more information about Deterra bags and the science behind them, please click here.  Learn more about using the bags by viewing this brochure.  It's also available in Spanish by clicking or tapping here.




What is Addiction Really?
We CARE and Madison County Public Health endorce the evidence-informed program called Generation Rx. The mission of Generation Rx is to educate people of all ages about the potential dangers of misusing prescription medications. In doing so, we strive to enhance medication safety among our youth, college students, other adults in our communities, and older adults. Prescription medications can help us live longer and healthier lives, but any medication has the potential to do harm – especially when misused.  Not only do we want residents to dispose of their unused drugs, we wan them to understand what addiction really is.  You can access incredible resources for all ages here:

Older Adult Generation Rx
Adult Generation Rx
College Generation Rx
Teen Generation Rx
Elementary Generation Rx
Workplace Generation Rx

Page Updated 09/23/2019