American Idol Winner Nick Fradiani and Rep. Scanlon Team Up to Promote Drug Take Back Day in Guilford: Video

GUILFORD, CT — State Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, and American Idol winner Nick Fradiani released a video this morning urging Guilford residents to participate in a drug take back day at Guilford Police Headquarters on Saturday October 22 from 11am-1pm as part of National Drug Take Back Day.

Scanlon and Fradiani, both members of the Guilford High School class of 2004, joined with current Guilford students from the drug prevention group Guilford DAY to film the video and promote the event.

"Connecticut, like all states, is in the midst of a public health crisis when it comes to prescription drug and heroin addiction and more people will die from overdoses in our state this year than from car accidents," said Scanlon in a news release.

"Data shows that 4 in 5 new heroin users begin their addiction by abusing prescription drugs, 50% of whom get them initially from a family member of friend given the millions of leftover and expired pills we tend to keep in our medicine cabinets after surgeries and injuries. Nick and I are teaming up with Guilford DAY and the Guilford Police to urge all residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring any unused pills down to HQ on the 22nd. This simple step, believe it or not, can actually save lives," Scanlon added in a statement

In 2015, Scanlon sponsored a take back day at Guilford Police HQ that collected over 60 pounds of drugs in just two hours. Scanlon says one story that day stuck with him.

"A woman came in with a huge box and as she was putting the old pill bottles into the bin she would say 'this was my son's soccer injury' or 'this was my daughter's wisdom teeth surgery' and I said to her, 'oh, what year are your kids at GHS?' and she looked at me and said, 'Sean, my kids graduated from high school in the 90s.' That story has always stuck with me because I realized people just don't know how to properly get rid of these pills or the importance of doing so in the first place," said Scanlon.

During his first term in Hartford, Scanlon co-sponsored legislation expanding education for doctors about the dangers of over-prescribing and required doctors to check a secure database before prescribing to ensure that people were not "doctor shopping" - going from doctor to doctor for the same prescription.

This year, Scanlon wrote and passed legislation making Connecticut the second state in the nation to limit all first-time opioid prescriptions to a 7 day supply with exceptions for those with terminal illnesses and chronic pain. The bill also allows patients who are still in pain after 7 days to return to their doctor and get a refill.

"Because of this new law, gone are the days when an 18 year old goes home from getting their wisdom teeth out with 50 pills when they only need 5-6 until they feel better. So, we're tackling future excess in a responsible way but we still have so many pills out there due to decades of over-prescribing and that's what the take back day is all about," said Scanlon.

"We're so pleased that DAY received five more years of DFC funding and one of our big goals is to reduce the abuse of prescription medicines and opioids in our community. We want people to know that it's important to dispose of unused and unwanted medicines and fortunately we have a Drug Drop Box for this purpose at the Guilford Police Station that is available 24/7, 365 days a year" said Karolin Regan, LCSW, Assistant Director, Guilford DAY, in a statement.

Guilford residents are encouraged to return their unused or expired pills at Guilford Police HQ (400 Church Street) on Saturday October 22nd from 11am-1pm. No questions asked. Can't make it on the 22nd? The box is always in the lobby of the HQ and you can drop them off 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

See also: New Details Emerge in Fatal Plane Crash; Roofer Dies from Fall at Job Site; Officers Revive Overdosed Man at Park: CT News

Written by Brian McCready (Patch National Staff)

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)