Agencies taking part in Drug Take Back Day
For those who want to safely dispose of outdated or unused prescription medication, Red Bay police chief Janna Jackson said this weekend would be the time to do just that.
Both the Red Bay Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s 7th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Jackson said the RBPD will have a site set up on the side of the police department in Red Bay for residents to drop off any unwanted prescription medication so it can be disposed of properly.
Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said the sheriff’s office will have a drop-off site located at Family Pharmacy located at the corner of U.S. 43 and Underwood Road in Russellville.
According to the DEA, studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
Since Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards, events like these are the safest way to dispose of these pills.
“Prescription medication abuse is a big problem, and properly disposing of these medications is a good way to help prevent these types of drug crimes,” Jackson said.
“If prescription medications are taken out of the home, that lessens the chance for someone to misuse or abuse these products.”
Last April, DEA officials said Americans turned in 371 tons of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.
In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in more than 1,400 tons of pills.
“Our drug unit has seen more and more cases involving prescription medication abuse, so we know this is a real problem here in Franklin County,” Oliver said.
“We want to do all we can to get these medications out of the wrong people’s hands and this is just one way that the community can help us do that, so we hope many residents across the county will take advantage of this opportunity.”
