Councillors attending the Regeneration and Community Committee of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have learned over 30,000 drug items have been collected from RAPID bins currently installed – all of which were prescription and over-the-counter medication.

While extension of the scheme was welcomed, councillors said more awareness of the purpose is required as is a drive to ensure people do not request prescription medication they no longer use. RAPID (Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs) is a community-led initiative supported regionally by the PSNI and Public Health Agency, and delivered in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area by the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP). With five RAPID bins currently in the council area, an application was brought for a sixth to be installed at Omagh Leisure Complex. The initiative aims centre on the removal of  prescription, illegal and psychoactive substances (often referred to as ‘legal highs’ and now illegal following the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act in May 2016) from local communities. This is combined with provision of information and support to individuals, families, local business and community organisations to raise awareness of the effects and risks of using/misusing illegal and/or prescription drugs.

Community and statutory agencies work alongside local businesses and the general public coming together under the RAPID initiative to make their local community a safer place to live.

There are currently five bins installed in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, located at ARC Healthy Living Centre, Irvinestown; Castle Park Leisure Centre, Lisnaskea; Eurospar, Enniskillen; Supervalu, Omagh and The Find Centre, Enniskillen.

Since installation in July 2018, over 30,000 items have been removed, and to date all have been prescription or over-the-counter medication.

The bins are emptied by the PSNI on a fortnightly basis and all contents are counted and recorded.

“If there is an item of or concern it may be sent to the Forensic Service of Northern Ireland for verification or assess toxicity.

Councillor Josephine Deehan (Independent, pictured) while welcoming the removal of the drugs was shocked at the numbers stating: “This is an excellent idea and of course I support it 100 per cent. It’s a good way that the PCSP spend some of their funding.

“However I just want to make the point, since the installation of the five bins over 30,000 items of prescription and over-the counter medications have been removed. This is something we urgently need to address … we should promote the notion people should not be requesting medication from their GP practices they are not using or no longer need. This is an horrendous waste of valuable resources.”

Councillor Anne Marie Fitzgerald (SF) welcomed the proposal to install another RAPID bin in Omagh deeming it “a great initiative and a great incentive”. She added: “Whether it’s an addiction to prescription medication such as sedatives or high dose painkillers and whilst there is no indication of legal highs or illegal substances, I think it’s good to now have one (RAPID bin) in Omagh Leisure Complex for the community in the area.

“I think there should be greater awareness of these bins and what the intention is. I am aware of people who have found legal highs in their homes and don’t know how to dispose of them. They can’t go to police. This is a brilliant initiative.”

However, she too was “alarmed” at the level of prescription medication removed.

Councillor Errol Thompson (DUP, pictured) added his support to the remarks of Councillors Deehan and Fitzgerald, and welcomed the installation of a RAPID bin in Omagh Leisure Complex.