Rusk Police Department establishes onsite prescription drug drop box

RUSK – A permanent prescription drug drop box has been established in the lobby of the Rusk Police Station, located at 219 S. Main St., according to RPD Chief Jeremy Black.

“As someone who has worked in law enforcement for over 20 years, I have learned that being proactive is more effective than being reactive,” he said. “On the heels of National Night Out (celebrated Oct. 5), the men and women of the Rusk Police Department are partnering with the community to help combat this crisis – community collaboration is key to reducing these numbers in our own areas.”

According to the CDC, almost 71,000 deaths occurred in 2019 in the United States due to drug overdose, he noted.

More than 70 percent of those deaths involved an opioid – from 2018 to 2019, the largest increase in death rates involving synthetic opioids occurred in the West (67.9%), states the CDC website.

“We are excited to announce that a permanent prescription drug drop box has been placed in the lobby of the Rusk Police Department for citizens to bring their unwanted and/or unused prescription medications. We know that the more of these drugs we can get off of the street and properly disposed of equals more drugs out of the hands of our children,” he said.

The Rusk police station is one of two such drop boxes in Cherokee County; the other is located at the Jacksonville Police Station, 210 W. Larissa St., according to http://easttexasrx.com/drop-box-locations