Officials Urge Action as Unused Medications Fuel Addiction Risks

Local law enforcement and a behavioral health center is helping to address ways to combat substance use. 22 News reporter, Sierra Bien-Aimé joins us live in studio with how residents can help too. Yeah, Sierra. Oftentimes, local officials say more than 500 pounds of pills end up in the wrong place. But an annual event and new service is helping to change that. Preventing substance use can start with opening a medicine cabinet or drawer. And anything that you're no longer using, you no longer need, wrap it up and take it to one of the drug take-back sites. Starting at 10 Saturday morning, law enforcement agencies across our country will partner again with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to collect unused or expired medications for the 30th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Here locally, the Springfield Police will be collecting at Central High School, while the Handy D.A.'s office and Sheriff's Office will collect at the Pricewright Supermarket, parking lots in Chicopee. Officials are urging residents to partake by dropping off those medications. When you do that, it's a two-fold effect. One, it keeps it out of our water system from some of these pills poisoning our water system. And two, it helps prevent addiction. And health officials say mental health could play a role in that addiction. In fact, here at Miravista, many of the patients who will seek inpatient psychiatric treatment from us are also struggling with a substance misuse challenge as well. So they ask loved ones to look for signs of sadness, self-harm, lack of eating, sleeping, before looking for dual diagnosis supports. The recent expansion at Miravista Behavioral Health Center has even helped address how mental health plays a role in substance use. We did put ten new adult inpatient beds online, and they're full. And we have no problem filling and making ourselves available to individuals who may need our level of care. Miravista also provides outpatient programs too. Working for you, Sarah Bien, MA 22 News.