Turn in unused medication Oct. 24
- Published: October 23, 2020
Several law enforcement agencies in Greene County are participating in National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, when residents are asked to turn in unwanted and unneeded prescription or over-the-counter drugs so they can be disposed of safely.
Representatives of the Fairborn Police Department, Beavercreek Police Department, Sugarcreek Police Department, Cedarville Police Department and Greene County Sheriff’s Office will be accepting such medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at each of their agency’s location. Officers or deputies will be assisted by students from the Greene County Career Center’s Criminal Justice Academy.
“The importance of getting these drugs out of peoples’ homes and properly disposed of is imperative,” Greene County Sherif Gene Fischer wrote this week in a notice about the initiative. “Prescription drugs sitting around homes can and often do get into the wrong hands and lead to overdose issues,” the release continues.
“Another problem is when the drugs are disposed of by either sending them to the local landfill or just flushing them down the toilet. Landfill dumping will eventually allow the medications to seep into our water supply which creates potential hazards. Flushing drugs into the wastewater recovery system sends the medication into a system that uses enzymes and these medications kill the enzymes which creates higher costs for the sanitary engineering. Either way medication can end up in our drinking water as well as our creeks and rivers.”
Typically conducted twice a year, the county’s last drug-take-back event in the spring was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One Response to “Turn in unused medication Oct. 24”
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Adults need to be particularly careful about having their medications in open access areas if they have children at home or visiting. Store medications in a safe place so children, including teenagers, aren’t tempted to experiment or worse. Please. Too many young people are lost to suicide each year and prescription bottles needn’t be dreadful invitations for the clinically depressed. Thank you.