April 2012 National Take Back Initiative A Local Success

On Saturday April 28, 2012 the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office participated in the National Take back Initiative sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The program was started by the D.E.A. in an effort to combat the increasing problem of prescription medication being abused and sold on the street illegally.

A total of three drop off sites were hosted by the Sheriff’s Office with one being held at the Newcomerstown West Elementary School with Newcomerstown Police Chief Gary Holland participating, a second site at Trinity Twin City Hospital in Dennison with Chief Rob Hunt assisting and a third at the Sheriff’s Office located on Reiser Ave. in New Philadelphia.

A total weight of the pills collected was about 250 lbs.

A large amount of the medications collected were prescription Narcotics including Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (Percocet) and Alprazolam (Xanax). Numerous persons also dropped off other prescription pills and some over the counter medication including Pseudoephedrine tablets that are an ingredient in manufacturing Crystal Meth. The medications were picked up by the Drug Enforcement Administration for destruction.

---

The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties received a grant from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) to design and implement a strategic prevention framework. The goal of the project is:

To reduce substance abuse by youth and adults of Tuscarawas County and improve the quality of life through community-wide collaboration.

Developing a strategic prevention framework requires cross-system, community-wide collaboration. It should build upon the strengths and successes that organizations and systems have established in the community and it must focus on shared goals and measurable outcomes. Early conversations about the project explored the options of conducting a shared two-county process which would bring Carroll and Tuscarawas stakeholders together in a single approach or maintaining separate county identities by running parallel and independent processes. It was recommended that separate planning processes, strategic prevention frameworks and community coalitions be established for each county.

Coalition Members

Angie Delong Aris Modon Ben Cooley Beth Powell Brian Kress Bruce James Calvin White Dave Ramsell David L. Schaffer

Debra Wilden Dianne Oliver Elizabeth Thomakos Ellen Blair Fran Gerbig Fred Weingarth Jack Edwards James Hubert JJ Boroski

Kenneth Fanty Kevin Spears Linda Fanning Mark Welty Michelle Tope Nanette Roberson Natalie Bollon Orvis Campbell Pam Trimmer

Rebecca Craig Rich Vanarsdalen Ryan Styer Scott Ballentine Steven Pompey Walter R. Wilson