Delawareans Have More Options When Disposing of Unwanted Medications

DOVER (Oct. 6, 2020) — Delawareans now have more options when it comes to keeping their unused medications out of the wrong hands.

In the last year, seven new permanent prescription drug drop boxes have been added to the state’s existing locations, boosting the statewide count to 28. The drop boxes are available year-round.

There are 10 permanent drop box sites in New Castle County, seven in Kent County and 11 in Sussex County. Statewide, there are prescription drug drop boxes inside 10 pharmacies, one behavioral health center, and the remainder are located in the lobbies of town or city police agencies.

“Now more than ever, while people are spending more time at home and are facing a great amount of stress, it is important to properly dispose of unwanted medications,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Studies show that most opioid addictions start with a prescription. These same studies show us that more than half of the people who misused these prescriptions received them from a friend or family member. You can save lives by simply taking your unused medications to a secure drop box location.”

Disposing of unused medications at safe drop box sites can save lives and, in many cases, can prevent addiction before it even begins.

According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prescription pain reliever misuse was the second most common form of illicit drug use in the United States. Other studies show that prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines, often used for anxiety, and stimulants also are also frequently misused.

More than half of the people who misused pain relievers obtained them from a friend or family member, according to the report “Key Substance Use and Mental Health in The United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.”

The need to secure opioid prescriptions medication is even more pressing in Delaware because it has the highest rate of high-dose and long-acting/extended release opioid prescriptions written in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical providers have written 60.6 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Delaware residents, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Delaware also has the second-highest rate of overdose deaths in the nation, according to the CDC. In 2018, 400 people died from a drug overdose in Delaware, according to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. Eighty-eight percent of those deaths involved an opioid, according to NIDA.

As of October 2, 2020, 276 people are suspected to have died from a drug overdose in Delaware, according to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science.

Properly discarding prescription medications at secure drop box locations — particularly opioid prescriptions — can keep these medications from being stolen, misused, or out of the hands of small children and animals who may accidentally be poisoned by them.

Proper disposal at drop box locations also protects Delaware’s groundwater from contamination that occurs when medications are flushed down the toilet.

The 28 permanent prescription drug drop box locations are listed below by county. Check in with each location, as some have implemented COVID-19-related restrictions.

New Castle County

Newark Police Dept. 220 S. Main St. Newark, DE 19711

New Castle County Police Dept. 3601 N. DuPont Hwy. New Castle, DE 19720

Wilmington Police Dept. 300 N. Walnut St. Wilmington, DE 19801

Walgreens 1120 Pulaski Hwy. Bear, DE 19701

Walgreens 6317 Limestone Road Hockessin, DE 19707

Walgreens 2119 Concord Pike Wilmington, DE 19803

CVS Pharmacy 1545 Pulaski Hwy. Bear, DE 19701

CVS Pharmacy 4020 Concord Pike Wilmington, DE 19803

University of Delaware Police Dept. 413 Academy St. Newark, DE 19716

Rite Aid 2034 New Castle Ave. New Castle, DE 19720

Kent County

Dover Police Dept. 400 S. Queen St. Dover, DE 19904

Smyrna Police Dept. 325 W. Glenwood Ave. Smyrna, DE 19977

Felton Police Dept. 24 E. Sewell St. Felton, DE 19943

Camden Police Dept. 1783 Friends Way Camden, DE 19934

Harrington Police Dept. 20 Mechanic St. Harrington, DE 19952

Milford Police Dept. 400 NE Front St. Milford, DE 19963

Walgreens 1001 Forrest Ave. Dover, DE 19904

Sussex County

Selbyville Police Dept. 68 W. Church St. Selbyville, DE 19975

Greenwood Police Dept. 100 W. Market St. Greenwood, DE 19950

Ocean View Police Dept. 201 Central Ave. Ocean View, DE 19970

Georgetown Police Dept. 335 N. Race St. Georgetown, DE 19947

Laurel Police Dept. 205 Mechanic St. Laurel, DE 19956

Delmar Police Dept. 400 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Delmar, MD 21875

Walgreens 17239 Five Points Square Lewes, DE 19958

Walgreens 22898 Sussex Hwy. Seaford, DE 19973

CVS Pharmacy 17229 N. Village Main Blvd. Lewes, DE 19958

SUN Behavioral Health Delaware 21655 Biden Ave. Georgetown, DE 19947

Millsboro Police Dept. 307 Main St. Millsboro, DE 19966

For further information on addiction recognition, prevention and treatment, visit www.helpisherede.com.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.


DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road demonstration yard waste site to open April 6 and close June 30

DOVER – DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill demonstration yard waste drop-off site in northern New Castle County, which has been in intermittent operation since 2007, will open on April 6, 2019 and then will be permanently closed on June 30, 2019. After that, yard waste material will no longer be accepted at the Polly Drummond Hill site. The site will be restored to its natural state and will be included in the White Clay Creek State Park master planning process.The logo for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

The Polly Drummond Hill site is the last of three “pilot” yard waste drop-off sites opened by DNREC to help with the transition of New Castle County yard waste disposal away from the Cherry Island landfill as it neared capacity. The property is part of DNREC’s White Clay Creek State Park and will return to a natural setting within the park. With the development of other nearby yard waste drop-off and collection options, and concerns regarding invasive species such as the spotted lanternfly, DNREC is closing the Polly Drummond Hill site.

New Castle County residents who have used the Polly Drummond Hill site now have nearby private operations for disposal of their yard waste, including:

  • Holland Mulch South Chapel Yard Waste Site
    1034 South Chapel Street (Route 72), Newark, DE 19702
    302-737-1000; www.hollandmulch.com
  • Holland Mulch
    135 Hay Road, Edgemoor, DE 19809
    302-737-1000; www.hollandmulch.com
  • DSWA Cherry Island Landfill
    12th Street and Hay Road, Wilmington, DE 19809
    800-404-7080; www.dswa.com

DNREC also reminds New Castle County residents that many waste hauling companies in Delaware offer yard waste collection services to customers. A current list of waste haulers and their contact information can be found on the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s website https://dswa.com/resources/licensed-haulers/. In some cases, curbside waste customers may already be paying for a yard waste collection service, but might not be using it. Yard waste collection also may be added to existing service contracts. Additionally, there are landscaping companies that offer yard waste collection. New Castle County residents are encouraged to compare and choose the best option for yard waste removal needs.

DNREC’s Recycling Program also reminds Delawareans that yard waste is banned from the state’s landfills, so it cannot be placed in trash containers. Yard waste typically consists of materials such as grass clippings, leaves, brush, small limbs (4” in diameter or less), Christmas trees or other vegetative materials.

Additional resources for managing yard waste including other drop-off locations can be found at de.gov/yardwaste. This site also includes a link to a new DNREC brochure on managing residential yard waste. For more information on yard waste in Delaware, please call DNREC’s Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances, 302-739-9403, option #1.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 60

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DNREC Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit charges New Castle woman in trash dumping incident

NEWARK – After investigating an illegal dumping complaint made to DNREC’s Division of Community Affairs, Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a New Castle woman Thursday, Aug. 2 in connection with the incident.

Merle M. Moore, 46, was charged with one count of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste materials at the Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site in Newark. The charge carries a minimum fine of $500.

Moore was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 in New Castle and released on her own recognizance, pending trial at a later date.

The Polly Drummond Yard Waste Site allows Delaware residents to drop off yard waste from their own yard. Commercial businesses are not eligible to drop off yard waste at this site. Yard waste consists of plant materials from lawn maintenance and landscaping activities such as: grass clippings, leaves, prunings, brush, shrubs, garden materials, Christmas trees, and tree limbs up to four inches in diameter. Only loose material can be left; plastic bags and other containers must be emptied and removed from the site. Leaving construction debris such as lumber and fencing at the site is not permitted.

Residents are encouraged to report illegal trash dumping to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

CONTACT: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 214