Anyone who missed the first collection day in May, or has medications they’ve accumulated since that time, should take advantage of this week-long opportunity to get them out of the medicine cabinet.
The last collection resulted in over 20 pounds of prescription medications being turned in. The BCSO attempted to kick off a unused or expired medication collection in April, but tornadoes that week caused officials to hold the collections until later.
The program keeps narcotics from being flushed down the drain and is more environmentally friendly, according to Bob Gault, media relations coordinator for BCSO.
The prescription take-back project, which is being held locally in conjunction with the GRAAB Coalition and the Drug Enforcement Administration, is the week of Oct. 24th through the 29th.
Hours for collection are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 28, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. Medications should be brought to the Criminal Investigations Division entrance on the south side of the Bradley County Judicial Complex.
Hypodermic needles or drugs which are radioactive are been by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and not acceptable at the sheriff’s office.
The GRAAB (Going Respectfully Against Addictive Behaviors) Coalition, one of the sponsors of this event, is on the forefront of the battle against the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
The Monitoring the Future 1 survey — the Nation's largest survey of drug use among young people — showed that prescription drugs are the second most abused category of drugs after marijuana.
In addition, the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2 shows that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately five percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.
Leaders warn never to discard medicines in a landfill or a manner that can pollute area waterways.
This second Drug Take-Back event is being conducted at no charge to participants.
