5 locations in WNC set up to drop off unused opioid prescriptions

Opioid overdoses have been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mission Health is hosting an event Saturday to help people get rid of their unused opioid prescriptions.

The Crush the Crisis event is happening at five locations across the mountains.

Health officials say 67,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2018 and the pandemic has made the crisis worse. They said just because our attention is on the pandemic doesn't mean the opioid crisis has disappeared.

"The opioid epidemic hasn't gone away because we experienced a pandemic in our community. It's just been supplanted in the news media, and, in fact, the crisis related to opioid overdoses and addiction has escalated in the face of the social disruption that's occurred because of the pandemic," Mission Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. William Hathaway said.

For locations, visit WLOS - click here.


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