Opioid Epidemic: Wayland Prescription Drug Take-Back Saturday

WAYLAND, MA - Drop your old prescription drugs off at the Wayland Police Department Saturday to honor National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

The purpose of the day is to provide a "convenient and safe" way for residents to dispose of drugs and discourage abuse, police wrote on social media.

The opioid epidemic has taken the Commonwealth by storm, and legislators on both the local and state levels have been taking action to fight back against the disease of addiction.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's most recent data which accounts for opioid-related overdose deaths from January 2012 to December 2014, there were two opioid-related overdose deaths in Wayland during that time span. A death was reported in both 2012 and 2014, but no opioid-related deaths were reported in Wayland in 2013.

From the years 2000 to 2014, Middlesex County saw 1,634 opioid-related deaths, 238 of which were recorded in 2014 alone. The 2014 figure breaks down to an average of 4.4 opioid-related deaths per city and town in the county.

Middlesex County has had the most opioid-related deaths out of any county in the Commonwealth between 2000 and 2014.

The Wayland Police Department will be accepting prescription drugs on Saturday, April 30th between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Joe Lipovich (Patch Staff) contributed to this report

Photo via Wikimedia Commons