Full Notification

In 2018, Beaufort County saw a nearly 50 percent reduction in prescription drug and opioid-related deaths, as well as a decline in overall drug overdose cases from the previous year. The decline in deaths and overdoses may be attributed to a combination of things: the cooperative efforts among government and private entities to raise public awareness of the opioid problem; the hosting of drug take-back events; the installation of three convenient prescription drug drop-off boxes; and the supplying of naloxone—better known by its brand name Narcan—to Sheriff’s Office deputies and municipal police officers.

Even with all of our progress, opioid and prescription drug overdoses are still occurring. Just over the past weekend, several overdoses were reported in Beaufort County. Fortunately, Sheriff’s Office deputies and paramedics were equipped with naloxone and were able to revive the overdosing subjects.

These most recent incidents provide an opportunity for us to remind Beaufort County residents and guests of the many resources available to those suffering from drug addiction and associated mental illnesses to obtain treatment and to curb the volume of dangerous unused prescription drugs on the street by disposing of them safely.
  The staff of the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department—BCADAD—offer treatment, counseling and support to those struggling with alcohol and drug addictions. To find out more about the services provided by BCADAD and how to contact them, please visit their website https://www.bcgov.net/departments/community-services/alcohol-and-drug-abuse/service-features.php
  For those in our community suffering from mental illnesses, the staff of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health’s—SCDMH—Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center—CECMHC—offer mental health counseling, psychological services, support and community outreach programs at two locations in Beaufort County: Beaufort and on Hilton Head Island. To find out more about the mental health services provided at the CECMHC and how to contact them, please visit their website http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/coastal/locations.html

To add to the mental health resources available in our community, the SCDMH partnered with the Sheriff’s Office in its Community Crisis Response and Intervention—CCRI—initiative last year. In July 2018, two CCRI mental health counselors were assigned to Beaufort County and currently have offices at Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Beaufort and at the Sheriff’s Office substation on Hilton Head Island. The CCRI counselors provide on-site emergency psychiatric screening and assessment and are available 24/7 to our community. Through early intervention and follow up care, the CCRI counselors hope to reduce unnecessary contacts with law enforcement and emergency room visits commonly experienced by those with mental illnesses. To learn more about the SCDMH partnership with the Sheriff’s Office in its CCRI initiative, please visit the SCDMH website https://scdmh.net/2018/07/25/dmh-to-provide-crisis-intervention-in-beaufort-horry-counties/
  In 2018 to provide a convenient and safe way for Beaufort County residents to dispose of unused and potential dangerous medications, prescription drug drop-off boxes were installed in Sheriff’s Office and government locations in Beaufort, Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island. Since the installation of the boxes, more than 700 pounds of unused prescription medications have been collected by Sheriff’s Office personnel. The drugs were properly disposed of and have been kept from falling into the wrong hands. Residents can find the drug drop off boxes at the following locations:

Beaufort
Main lobby of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center, 2001 Duke Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Bluffton
2^nd floor of the Beaufort County Government Center, 4819 Bluffton Parkway, Bluffton, SC 29910
Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday

Hilton Head Island
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, 70 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  In coordination with the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department, the Sheriff’s Office schedules drug take back events throughout the year. The events take place in Beaufort and Bluffton simultaneously and are announced through NIXLE, Facebook and Nextdoor. The next drug-take back event is tentatively scheduled for April 27, 2019.
 
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, please seek help from one of the resources available to our community. The Sheriff’s Office appreciates your partnership and continued commitment to the safety of our community.