Delaware Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long announces Bench Opioids Initiative

NEWARK, Del. – Delaware Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long has announced a prescription drug disposal initiative to curb opioid abuse and save lives in the First State.

Lt. Governor Hall-Long made the announcement today alongside NFL Hall of Famer and Delaware native Randy White, who recently lost a loved one to an overdose.

The “Bench Opioids” initiative is a proactive prevention and drug disposal blitz targeting opioid abuse and overdose deaths, especially among student-athletes.

“We are putting on a full-court press to stop prescription opioid abuse,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Ph.D., R.N. “As chair of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium, I have heard from far too many families who have an empty seat at their table due to an overdose. It’s critical we do all we can to educate Delaware students and families across our state about the dangers of unused prescription medication. Thanks to the work of Dispose Rx and our state partners, we are fighting back and saving lives.”

Lt. Governor Hall-Long and Randy White were  featured speakers at the DIAA women’s high school basketball semi-finals during the halftimes of both games on Wednesday. For the first time publicly, White shared the story of the recent loss of his son-in-law due to a prescription drug overdose.

“Like thousands of other families across the United States, my family has been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic,” said Randy White, former Dallas Cowboy and NFL Hall of Famer. “I am proud of the leadership of Lt. Governor Hall-Long and that my home state of Delaware will be the first in the nation to expand our Friday Night Lights Against Opioids efforts to basketball with the Bench Opioids initiative. I know all too well that just one pill can kill. This effort to educate communities about the dangers of taking pills you’re not prescribed and to dispose of unused drugs is crucial to saving lives.”

The initiative will feature public service announcements from sports legends, educational materials for students, and free drug disposal kits to promote the proper disposal of medication.

DisposeRx was on hand to distribute hundreds of drug disposal kits to students, families and fans at the conclusion of Wednesday night’s games.

The disposal kits will allow Delawareans to safely and environmentally consciously discard their unused and unwanted medications.

“Very easy to dispose, environmentally friendly, and actually you mix it up, and it blends together and it disintegrates,” Lt. Governor Hall-Long told our Rob Petree. “So, you can put all the pills together and you can put it in your trash safely.”

Recent data shows that about 70% of teens who misuse opioids get them from friends or relatives. Delaware currently ranks third in the country for drug overdose deaths. About 67% of those deaths were opioid-related.