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North Carolina Insurance Commissioner partners with GCSO for a medicine drop-off event

Commissioner Mike Causey said 79-percent of overdose deaths in North Carolina involve some type of opioid.

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance and the Guilford County Sheriff are working together to keep drugs off the street.

Commissioner Mike Causey and Sheriff Danny Rogers hosted an Operation Medicine Drop event Friday. People got rid of outdated medicine at the Pleasant Garden Drug Store. Commissioner Causey said 79-percent of overdose deaths in North Carolina involve some type of opioid.

“I want people to realize the opioid crisis, drug overdose deaths are killing four to five people a day,” Causey said. “We need to educate the public on the dangers of drugs, opioids, and the dangers of people getting hooked on painkillers. It happens every day.”

Since 2010, Operation Medicine Drop campaigns successfully incinerated more than 266 million pills from across the state. Sheriff Rogers said his team actively works to battle the drug crisis in Guilford County.

“The drug issue here in Guilford County is bad and we continue to work at it,” Rogers said. “We continue to work with our special units, we continue to work with the community, we continue to work with the different medical institutions that help us take it off the street allowing people to bring it in with no questions asked.”

For those who couldn’t attend Friday’s Medicine Drop, there are several permanent drop-off locations across the state. 

Credit: WFMY

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