MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verde® Technologies, Inc., the maker of the Deterra® Drug Deactivation System, a drug deactivation and disposal pouch, announced the addition of Stephen E. Murphy, retired Special Agent in Charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and inspiration for the hit Netflix® series Narcos, to its Deterra Advisory Council. Verde Technologies will also be the recipient of the 2018 CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) Humanitarian of the Year award, presented to the company during the upcoming annual CADCA Drug-Free Kids Campaign Awards dinner.
About Murphy and the Deterra Advisory Council
The state of
opioid use in America remains a growing public health epidemic and
opioid-related overdose deaths continue to rise nationally. The addition
of Murphy to the Deterra Advisory Council further illustrates the
company’s commitment to helping increase awareness and usage of safe
disposal options for prescription and over-the-counter medications,
including opioids. Deterra provides an easy way for people to deactivate
and dispose of unwanted or unneeded medications right at home.
As a Special Agent in Charge with the DEA, Murphy and his partner, Javier Peña, targeted the world’s first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel. Living and working alongside their Colombian National Police counterparts and elite U.S. military units, their efforts resulted in the dismantlement of the largest and most violent international drug trafficking organization of its time. Murphy will join the Deterra Advisory Council to help educate policymakers and the public about the opioid epidemic and the value of preventive solutions like Deterra.
“I was part of the team that took down Pablo Escobar, drug lord and leader of the Medellin Cartel. The opioid epidemic that we face today is just as dangerous as the drug trade in Colombia. In fact, even more so because these prescription pills are found in almost every American’s medicine cabinet,” said Steve Murphy, former DEA agent. “I’m excited to continue my life’s work by joining the Deterra Advisory Council. By ridding homes of unused drugs, we have the potential to save millions of lives.”
Murphy joins other nationally-recognized experts on the current Deterra Advisory Council, including:
- William F. Alden, Chairman, Board of Directors, DEA Educational Foundation
- The Honorable Mary Bono, former U.S. Representative of California; Board Member, CADCA
- Major General Arthur T. Dean, USA, Ret., Chairman and CEO, CADCA
- Major General Elder Granger, M.D., USA, Ret., President and CEO, The 5Ps, LLC
- Sue Kruczek, a parent advocate who lost her son to a heroin overdose
About Receiving the CADCA Humanitarian of the Year Award
Verde
Technologies has also been awarded Humanitarian of the Year by CADCA,
which will be presented at the 20th annual Drug-Free Kids
Campaign Awards dinner on October 18, 2018. The award recognizes the
company for its outstanding philanthropy, national leadership and
special attention to helping create a world of safe, healthy and
drug-free communities.
“It is a great honor to receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award,” said Jason Sundby, CEO of Verde Technologies. “Our mission to reduce drug abuse and misuse, in an environmentally safe way, aligns with CADCA’s mission in creating safe, healthy and drug free communities globally, and we believe, together we are making an impact in the lives of those today and the generations to come.”
About Deterra and Verde Technologies, Inc.
Minneapolis-based
Verde Technologies, Inc., is a privately-owned company committed to
developing research-based, scientifically proven solutions to reduce
drug abuse, misuse and negative environmental impact. The Deterra Drug
Deactivation System is powered by proprietary MAT12®
Molecular Adsorption Technology, which deactivates prescription drugs
using activated carbon. The patented technology is highly effective in
adsorbing and firmly binding pharmaceuticals, rendering them inert,
unavailable for misuse and safe for the environment. Learn more at www.DeterraSystem.com
