A special event to dispose of potentially dangerous prescription medication will be hosted Saturday at the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Not only will they take the medication no questions asked, but the setup will be pain-free, as the service will be offered “drive-through” style. Participants won’t need to get out of their cars; just roll down the window and hand over the unused or unwanted prescription drugs.
There’s no paperwork necessary and no questions will be asked, officials said. There is a caveat, though: no needles or bio-hazardous material will be accepted.
The Peachtree City Police Department also will be taking part Saturday with a separate drop-off location in Peachtree City. https://www.thecitizen.com/articles/04-15-2011/event-april-30-seeks-old-p…
“Operation Pill Drop” is a combined effort between the sheriff’s office and the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. The concept is to decrease the abuse of prescription medication by removing the potential for them to fall into the wrong hands.
The drugs are safely incinerated days after the event.
To participate in Operation Pill Drop, come to the sheriff’s office parking lot located at 155 Johnson Avenue, Fayetteville. The event will be located in the portion of the parking lot nearest South Jeff Davis Drive and Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard.
Last year nearly 121 tons of prescription medicine was collected across the country as part of Operation Pill Drop.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards. You can make your home safe and strengthen your community by participating in this nationwide prescription take-back program.
