Lonely Drop-Box Project launched in Roanoke County to combat opioid epidemic

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A drug drop-box is under construction at the Burton Center for Arts and Technology. It is part of a larger effort underway countywide to to keep drugs off the street. 

"There's very few places for people to safely dispose so if we make it more convenient more people will do it and we'll have more potentially dangerous substances out of circulation, said Roanoke County Chief of Police Howard Hall.

Local law enforcement along with the Prevention Council of Roanoke County are launching the Lonely Drop-Box project to encourage local pharmacies to install drug disposal boxes of their own. Currently, only eight of the 217 pharmacies in the surrounding area offer in-store drop-boxes. 

"The impact is keeping dangerous substances out of people's hands that could be harmed by them," said Hall. 

Back at the Burton Center, students are still working hard to finish the drop-box. This is their second one...the first box is located at the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office. Once finished, this one will go to the Vinton Police Department. 

"It's nice to know that we're helping something or the whole community out, so it's all worth it in the long run," said Ryan Lyles, a student at the Burton Center.

As part of the Lonely Drop-Box project, local people are mailing 4,000 postcards to the CEOs of CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and Walmart -- the four largest chain store pharmacies in our area -- asking them to install drug disposal boxes.

To learn more about the Lonely Drop-Box project, click here.