Health Department Purchases ELASTEC Drug Terminator for Columbia Police

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services paid for a drug incinerator the Columbia Police Department recently acquired, according to a news release.
The incinerator, named the Drug Terminator, cost $4,601, health department spokeswoman Andrea Waner said. The device will be used for disposing of prescription drugs left in the police department’s lobby drop box.

It is unclear how much maintenance will cost or whether police have started using it. Police spokesman Sgt. Bob Dochler did not respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment yesterday. Waner said this model of incinerator was chosen because it was the most cost-effective and had been approved by regulators for use in another jurisdiction. The money for the Drug Terminator came from extra funds in the health department’s 2012 budget. Waner said police have had possession of the portable Drug Terminator for several months, but the department had to obtain permits to use it, which likely delayed the timeline for its use.

The incinerator is expected to have a positive environmental impact by reducing the number of drugs that are thrown out and eventually decompose and seep into the ground or water sources, Waner said. She referred questions to police when asked about the incinerator’s byproducts and their environmental impact. Waner said the Drug Terminator also will aid in her department’s mission to reduce risky behavior and substance abuse by making “sure the drugs are getting properly disposed of and not getting into the hands of the wrong people.”

For more information about the ELASTEC Drug Terminator, contact Jeremy Pretzsch, Elastec/American Marine Sales Manager.

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