SNELLVILLE – Eastside Medical Center will be hosting "Crush the Crisis," an opioid take-back event Sept. 7.
Law enforcement officers from the Snellville Police Department will be on site to help with the collection and disposal of unused medications from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to the right of the Main Campus Emergency Department located at 1700 Medical Way.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2016 there were 918 opioid-related overdose deaths in Georgia- a rate of 8.8 deaths per 100,000 Georgians.
Volunteers will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.
"Opioid addiction is a growing crisis not only in Gwinnett County, but across our nation," said Trent Lind, Chief Executive Officer at Eastside Medical Center. "Our goal for 'Crush the Crisis' is to raise awareness to the dangers of opioid addiction and increase awareness about the proper disposal of these medications. Opioid addiction can happen to anyone and we are providing this drop off opportunity confidentially and anonymously."
For more information visit EastsideMedical.com/CrushTheCrisis or contact Eastside Medical Center Marketing Manager Hope Moeck at 404.670.7072.