Law enforcement disposing of unwanted drugs this weekend

WASHINGTON — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to Noon in the United Presbyterian Church parking lot.

Bring your pills for disposal to the United Presbyterian Church Parking Lot at 209 E. Main St., in Washington. Sites cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. For your privacy, it is recommended that you place the pills in a zip-lock bag and dispose of the bottle at home. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This event is DEA’s 22nd nationwide event since its inception over 11 years ago.

Last fall, Americans turned in 744,082 pounds (372 tons) of prescription drugs at 4,982 sites operated by the DEA and 4,276 its state and local law enforcement partners. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 7,634 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.

In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit www.takebackday.dea.gov