New drug drop-off box at Loris PD fills up quickly

LORIS, SC (WBTW) – The Loris Police Department is stepping up in the fight against the opioid epidemic in Horry County. The police department now has a drop-off box for people to dispose of old or unused prescription drugs.

Loris police received the drop-off box earlier this month, and Interim Police Chief Gary Buley said it filled up soon after the box arrived. “I was shocked. I opened it up and did not expect to see that,” said Interim Police Chief Gary Buley. He found three boxes full of prescription drugs, a total of 10,000 pills, after just 24 hours.

“Pleasantly surprised. I think that’s the community ready to do something about the problem,” said Jesse Marlow, Prevention Coordinator for Shoreline Behavioral Services, Shoreline, an substance abuse treatment center in Conway, bought the new drop-off box for the Loris Police Department with part of a $75,000 federal grant. Before the department installed the box, the closest drop-off locations for people in Loris were in Green Sea or Little River. “The heroin epidemic thrives from medication pills,” said Buley.”We’ve seen that there have been a lot of overdoses in the Loris area.”

Shoreline members said they’re glad Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency regarding the opioid epidemic in South Carolina.“I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction for the state to take a stand and say this is an issue,” said Marlow. ECHO grant coordinator David Caruso said, “I think it brings to the forefront the dangers of addiction, and that it’s affecting all of us. Not just a small part of the community, but all of us.”

Shoreline is using the rest of the $75,000 grant to buy drop-off boxes for other police departments in Horry County that don’t have any. Marlow said every second counts in the fight against opioid abuse. “The issue with heroin right now is that people are dying quickly. If we have someone here for treatment services, and they don’t come back we can think that they can possibly be dead.”

If you’d like to dispose of old medications or prescription drugs, the Loris Police Department is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and located on 3909 Walnut Street. “Come in, drop it off, no questions asked,” said Buley.If you’d like to find a drop-off box in your area, below is a list of police departments in Horry County that currently have one.