McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition acquires drug incinerator

Local law enforcement agencies no longer will have to wait until biannual drug takeback events to safely dispose of any unused medication they have collected.

The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition, in coordination with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and McHenry County Mental Health Board, have acquired a portable drug incinerator accessible to all police departments in McHenry County.

The incinerator, dubbed the “drug terminator,” was fully funded by the mental health board and can be fueled with wood or charcoal to safely destroy pharmaceuticals, drug paraphernalia, syringes and needles, according to a news release from the coalition.

The sheriff’s office will maintain possession of the incinerator. Laura Crain, drug-free program coordinator for the coalition, said her group will be working on a burn schedule for the other departments.

Some departments recently have had trouble properly disposing of their stored medications.

In September, the Lake in the Hills Police Department – which normally collects about 60 pounds of medication a month – was forced to suspend its prescription drug collections because it had reached maximum storage capacity and lost its ability to dispose of medication through local outlets.

A list of drop-off sites in the county is available on the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition's website. Items that might not be acceptable include liquids, IV bags, solutions, needles and inhalers.