GREENVILLE – Local residents are invited to take part in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26.
According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
According to the DEA’s Drug Take Back website, two locations in Darke County are participating in Saturday’s event – the Greenville Police Department and the Darke County Sheriff’s Office.
Greenville Police Lt. Eric Roberts said the department’s prescription drug disposal box is always available and located in the main lobby.
Roberts said the department has offered the drug disposal service for about 10 years.
Taking back prescription drugs, Robert said, is “every day for us.”
The DEA, he said comes twice a year to pick up the drugs for disposal.
Roberts urges residents to take advantage of this weekend’s event, and to not be afraid of their personal information being distributed.
“We do ask people to keep them (drugs) in containers. They may take off the labels, mark out their information or place the pills in another container,” he said.
Roberts explained why it is “super important” the drugs be thrown away in a container as opposed to just emptying the contents in the disposal box.
“The officer in charge of that has to hand pick each pill out of the box, which isi a pain,” he said. Roberts said the contents of the disposal box “literally goes into a bag, is sealed up and stored in a locked facility” until the DEA picks the bags up to be taken and properly destroyed.
Prescription pills/capsules only are accepted, Roberts said, “no syringes, no liquids.”
The sheriff’s office also is participating in Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, said Detective Sgt. Chris Clark.
“The DEA contacts us twice a year to participate,” he said, adding that the DEA provides boxes and bags to be used for the event.
Representatives from the sheriff’s office will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Greenville’s Family Health, 5735 Meeker Rd. to collect prescriptions.
“We’re grateful to Family Health,” Roberts said, for allowing their site to be used for the drug take back, as well as to Darke County Solid Waste Management Director Krista Fourman, who assists by passing out flyers to spread the word about the community event.
As with the Greenville Police Department, only prescription pills/capsules will be accepted at the sheriff’s Family Health collection site.
