Cape May County First to Offer Medicine Drop Boxes in all Municipalities

By Maddy Vitale More than 70,000 people died in 2017 alone, as a result of drug overdoses from both illicit drugs and opioids. That figure rose from 16,849 in 1999, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We are in the midst of a crisis, an opioid crisis. In 2017, 70,000 Americans lost their lives to drug abuse,” explained Special Agent Nicholas Kolen of the Drug Enforcement Agency during a press conference Wednesday. “That is more people lost each year than can fit in the field where the Eagles play.” Kolen was one of several officials who spoke about the important of the medicine drop boxes during the event at the Cape May County Administration Building. Cape May became the first county in the state to have prescription drop boxes in each municipality. Law enforcement officials noted that the medicine drop boxes are vital tools to lessening the drug addiction epidemic sweeping the nation. On April 27, which marked the 17th state medicine take-back since its inception in 2010, 137 pounds of unwanted, expired, or unused medications were picked up from Cape May County’s local drop boxes alone, officials said. “We can lock people up. But there is the recovery side. The assistance side is crucial. We have to continue to fight this fight,” Kolen emphasized to the filled room. DEA Special Agent Nicholas Kolen discusses the staggering overdose statistics in the country. During the event, law enforcement officials and local dignitaries talked about the need to rid a home of unwanted medications so that someone, especially a child, does not gain access to the medicines. “I have personally seen how difficult it is for individuals who have addiction problems. This is a step that makes everyone responsible,” noted Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton of the medicine drop boxes. Thornton thanked the police departments in the county, Cape Assist, the drug prevention facility based in Wildwood, for being an “integral part” of the work toward ending drug addiction in the county, the DEA and fellow local officials for working toward creating a safer community. “This is a small county,” Thornton said, noting that the opioid crisis is a problem throughout the nation. “But we all have the same problems.” Freeholder and Director of Public Safety Leonard Desiderio, who is also Sea Isle City’s mayor, emphasized that the medicine drop boxes are just one way, but an important one, toward disposing of medications. He added that people may go to the drop box in Sea Isle, which is in the main lobby at City Hall, 24/7. “It is another tool we are using. We totally support the county and police efforts. We all have to join together. This is a tool that will be used in all communities," Desiderio emphasized. "It is as simple as dropping off pills to prevent medicine from getting into the wrong hands.” Desiderio said the medicine drop boxes have been very successful throughout the county and seeing the chiefs from across the county coming together is great. The main focus of the event was prevention, Freeholder Jeffrey Pierson, who was the Master of Ceremonies, noted. He explained that there is a multi-layered approach currently being implemented by the county to fight against drug addiction. “Prevention is the number one way we can fight overdoses,” Pierson, who oversees Health and Human Services said. “I am proud to say our community partners are really helping in prevention in multiple ways. This includes talking to students in schools, the Prosecutor’s Office Hope One van outreach, and prescription drop boxes.” He said that all of these individual steps help in achieving the goal of prevention. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland talks about the importance of the medicine drop boxes. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland called the medicine drop box program an important one to help keep drugs out of the wrong hands. “It is important to get all of the drugs out of your medicine cabinet and out of the environment,” he said. Other speakers included Joe Faldetta, director of Prevention at Cape Assist, Wildwood Police Chief Robert Regalbuto, who is also the president of Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association, and Howard Pine, deputy director at the Division of Consumer Affairs and Administrator of Project Medicine Drop. At the end of the event was an awards presentation in which Pierson and Faldetta gave plaques to the police chiefs in the county’s departments. Law enforcement officials, dignitaries and health officials, take a group photo at the end of the press conference.