October 25, 2016

Manchin Announces Launch of Statewide Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative

Mallinckrodt is donating 55,000 drug deactivation pouches to the state - 1,000 to every county  

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined elected officials and community leaders at Winfield Middle School, during National Red Ribbon Week to unveil a statewide drug prevention initiative. Mallinckrodt has pledged to donate 55,000 drug deactivation pouches to the state to ensure proper disposal of unused or outdated prescription medications.  Each of the 55 counties will receive 1,000 pouches for their residents.

“Prescription drug abuse has devastating effects on countless families across our nation,” Senator Joe Manchin said. “I have made a promise to the people of West Virginia and to the American people that I will do everything I can to beat this epidemic and to help those in recovery return to the lives they once enjoyed, drug-free. An important part of keeping prescription drugs out of the wrong hands is proper drug disposal, and that is what we hope to accomplish through this statewide initiative.”

Senator Manchin’s office will work with each county sheriff’s office and local law enforcement, drug prevention coalitions, and senior centers in distributing the drug deactivation pouches to help keep prescription drugs off the streets.

“The Sheriffs in West Virginia are very happy to be able to help get prescription drugs off the street and prevent their abuse by any means possible,” Executive Director of the West Virginia Sheriffs’ Association Rodney Miller said.  “This project lets people destroy unused or unwanted drugs in a safe manner before they can get in the hands of potential abusers or children who could accidently consume them.  West Virginia's Sheriffs thank Sen. Manchin for his efforts in fighting our drug abuse problems in our State."

The drug deactivation pouches were purchased and donated by Mallinckrodt, a global specialty pharmaceutical company. The user-friendly, pouch-based systems deactivate prescription drugs and render chemical compounds safe for landfills. After placing pills in the specially formulated pouch and adding regular tap water, it can be sealed and thrown away with the household trash, making the disposal process convenient for all.

“The Bureau of Senior Services welcomes the opportunity to be a part of this statewide program to help fight drug abuse in West Virginia,” Commissioner of the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services Robert Roswall said. “It is important that our state’s seniors do their part in this fight as well. Providing seniors information and an easy and efficient way to dispose of unused and outdated medicines has the potential to make a serious impact on the fight against drug abuse in the Mountain State.”

The statewide West Virginia donation is part of Mallinckrodt’s nationwide one-million pouch donation initiative to help combat the abuse of prescription pain medications, which is one of the top public health threats in the country today.

A national survey of U.S. adults who used opioids showed that nearly 6 out of 10 had or expect to have leftover opioids, according to findings published online June 13, 2016, in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal. Nearly 68 percent of those who used prescription pain relievers non-medically in 2012-2013 got them from friends or relatives, according to the 2013 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

“We are pleased and excited that Senator Manchin selected Putnam County to unveil this statewide plan,” Putnam Wellness Coalition Project Director Bill O’Dell said. “The Putnam Wellness Coalition, like many of the other substance abuse coalitions around the state, is thankful for this effort and for all the help Senator Manchin and others provide. Our vision for Putnam County is to have an empowered community which promotes healthy living, the elimination of substance abuse, and that is a great place to live, work, play, go to school, and raise a family.  The Putnam Wellness Coalition engages communities within Putnam County in ongoing efforts to eliminate substance abuse by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment that inform, advocate, and support youth and adults. Today’s announcement is one example that fits all of those criteria.”  

The drug deactivation pouches are manufactured by Verde Technologies.

The pouches will be delivered to the county coordinators in the coming weeks. Individuals who would like to obtain a pouch, can contact the coordinator in their county listed below.

County Coordinators

  • Barbour County        Sheriff Philip Ferguson, 8 North Main Street, Philippi, WV 26416
  • Berkeley County       Sheriff Kenneth LeMaster, 802 Emmett Rousch Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25401
  • Boone County            Sheriff Randall White, 206 Court Street Madison, WV 25130
  • Braxton County        Sheriff Eddie Williams, 300 Main Street, Sutton, WV 26601
  • Brooke County          Sheriff Chuck Jackson, 300 Courthouse Square, Wellsburg, WV 26070
  • Cabell County           Sheriff Thomas McComas, 750 5th Avenue, Suite 101, Huntington, WV 25701
  • Calhoun County        Sheriff Carl Ballengee, 363 Main Street, Suite 204, Grantsville, WV 26147
  • Clay County              Sheriff Garrett Samples, 246 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043
  • Doddridge County    Sheriff Michael Headley, 135 Court Street, West Union, WV 26456
  • Fayette County          Sheriff Steve Kessler, 100 North Court Street, Fayetteville, WV 25840
  • Gilmer County          Sheriff Larry Gerwig, 10 Howard Street, Glenville, WV 26351
  • Grant County            Sheriff Emory Feaster, 5 Highland Avenue, Petersburg, WV 26847
  • Greenbrier County   Sheriff Jan Cahill, 200 North Court Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901
  • Hampshire County   Sheriff John Alkire, 66 N High Street, Romney, WV 26757
  • Hancock County       Sheriff Ralph Fletcher, 102 North Court Street, New Cumberland, WV 26047
  • Hardy County           Sheriff Bryan Ward, 204 Washington Street, Moorefield, WV 26836
  • Harrison County       Sheriff Albert Marano, 301 West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301
  • Jackson County         Sheriff Anthony Boggs, 100 Maple Street, Ripley, WV 25271
  • Jefferson County      Sheriff Peter Dougherty, 102 Industrial Boulevard, Kearneysville, WV 25430
  • Kanawha County      Sheriff John Rutherford, 301 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301
  • Lewis County            Sheriff Adam Gissy, 110 Center Avenue, Weston, WV 26452
  • Lincoln County         Sheriff Ken Farley, 8000 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV 25523
  • Logan County            Sheriff Sonya Dingiss-Porter, 300 Stratton Street, Logan, WV 25601
  • Marion County         Sheriff Joseph Carpenter, 316 Monroe Street, Fairmont, WV 26554
  • Marshall County       Sheriff Kevin Cecil, 600 7th Street, Moundsville, WV 26041
  • Mason County           Sheriff Gregory Powers, 200 6th Street, Point Pleasant, WV 25550
  • McDowell County     Sheriff Martin West, 90 Wyoming Street, Welch, WV 24801
  • Mercer County          Sheriff Don Meadows, 210 West Main Street, Princeton, WV 24740
  • Mineral County        Sheriff Jeremy Taylor, 150 Armstrong Street, Keyser, WV 26726
  • Mingo County           Sheriff James Smith, 72 East 2nd Avenue, Williamson, WV 25661
  • Monongalia County  Sheriff Allen Kisner, 116 Walnut Street, Morgantown, WV 26505
  • Monroe County         Sheriff Michael Gravely, 350 Main Street, Union, WV 24983
  • Morgan County         Sheriff Vince Shambaugh, 111 Fairfax Street, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
  • Nicholas County        Sheriff David Hopkins, 700 Main Street, Summersville, WV 26651
  • Ohio County              Sheriff Patrick Butler, 51 16th Street, Wheeling, WV 26003
  • Pendleton County     Sheriff Donald Hedrick, 100 South Main Street, Franklin, WV 26807
  • Pleasants County      Sheriff D Wayne Wilson, 305 Barkwill Street, Saint Mary’s, WV 26170
  • Pocahontas County   Sheriff David Jonese, 900 10th Avenue, Marlinton, WV 24954
  • Preston County         Sheriff Daniel Loughrie, 103 West Main Street, Kingwood, WV 26537
  • Putnam County         Sheriff Steve Deweese, 3389 Winfield Road, Winfield, WV 25213
  • Raleigh County         Sheriff Steve Tanner, 215 Main Street, Beckley, WV 25802
  • Randolph County      Sheriff Mark Brady, 4 Randolph Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241           
  • Ritchie County          Sheriff Bryan Backus, 109 North Street, Harrisville, WV 26362
  • Roane County            Sheriff Todd Cole, 200 Main Street, Spencer, WV 25276
  • Summers County      Sheriff Gary Wheeler, 120 Ballengee Street, Hinton, WV 25951
    Taylor County               Sheriff Terring Skinner, 214 West Main Street, Grafton, WV 26354
  • Tucker County          Sheriff Brian Wilfong, 215 Second Street, Parsons, WV 26287
  • Tyler County             Sheriff Earl Kendle, 121 Court Street, Middlebourne, WV 26149
  • Upshur County         Sheriff David Coffman, 38 West Main Street, Buckhannon, WV 26201
  • Wayne County         Wayne County Commission, 700 Hendricks Street, Wayne, WV 25570
  • Webster County      Sheriff David Bender, 2 Court Street, Webster Springs, WV 26288
  • Wetzel County         Sheriff John Brookover, 200 Main Street, New Martinsville, WV 26155
  • Wirt County              Wirt County Commission, 1 Court Street, Elizabeth, WV 26143
  • Wood County            Sheriff Ken Merritt, 401 Second Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101
  • Wyoming County     Sheriff C.S. Parker, 24 Cedar Avenue, Pineville, WV 24874

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