Pasco County Fire Rescue is always looking for new, innovative ways to help keep our community safe.  One way we’re doing that is by providing drug disposal bags at every fire station in the county – free for pickup by members of our community thanks to a partnership with Alliance for Healthy Communities (AHC).

The Deterra Drug Deactivation System Pouches use a chemical to deactivate the drugs – preventing environmental contamination and rendering the medication unusable.  Simply drop the medication into the bag, add water and the medication becomes deactivated.

Pasco County Fire Rescue will become the largest department in the country with this risk reduction tool, now available at all the county’s nearly 30 fire rescue stations.  The bags are also available on all fire engines – and will soon be available in Fire Rescue staff vehicles.

“This is an easy, simple way for people to get rid of unused or unnecessary medication,” says Pasco County Fire Rescue Chief Anthony Perez.  “This keeps medication out of the wrong hands, which helps keep our community safe.  It’s a win-win for everyone.”

AHC Director Kellie Rodriguez and Coordinator Missy Coyle explain the partnership with Pasco County Fire and Rescue will help further AHC’s goal of enhancing medication safety in Pasco County.

“United in commitment, we champion medication safety through education, proper storage and responsible disposal – safeguarding our community’s health and preventing accidental overdose,” says Coyle.

The bags are available at no cost to the community through AHC.  For more information, please email ASAP@empoweredcommunities.org or click HERE.  AHC’s website also provides a comprehensive list of community resources for prevention, treatment and recovery.

To learn more about Pasco County Fire Rescue, click HERE.