Faribault County residents are being encouraged to turn in unneeded prescription medication during a nation-wide effort.
The Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 22.
“Since 2014, we have collected and incinerated more than 2,000 pounds of prescription pills,” says Chief Deputy Scott Adams.
Residents will be able to drop off their unwanted medication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center located at 320 Dr. H. Russ Street in Blue Earth.
“We walk out into the parking lot and meet them, to make it as easy as possible,” says Adams.
Last year, more than 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications were dropped off at 5,144 collection sites across the country. And, since 2010 the DEA along with law enforcement partners has collected nearly 16 million pounds.
Adams says this Saturday is not the only time that potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted drugs can be disposed.
“It can be dropped off in the lobby of the building, 24/7, 365 days of the year,” he says.
Some tips for anyone turning in medication to be disposed include:
- If not in the original container, place the medication in a clear plastic bag and write the name of the medication on the bag;
- use a marker to cross off the person’s name on the bottle;
- medication in the original container should be placed in a sealed plastic bag;
- no bio-hazardous material will be accepted;
- chemotherapy or radioactive materials cannot be dropped off.