ETSU hosts Drug Take Back event on Thursday

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy are hosting a Drug Take Back event on Thursday.

The event allows community members to dispose of outdated or needed prescription medications to help prevent drug misuse and overdose deaths.

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The following medications will be accepted:

• Prescription medications (including Scheduled II-V)

• Patches

• Ointments

• Pet medications

• Over-the-counter medications

• Vitamins

Items not accepted include:

• Needles (sharps containers will be given away if needed for disposal)

• Inhalers

• Thermometers

• Aerosol cans

• Lotions/liquids

• Hydrogen peroxide

Naloxone, a medication that reverses an opioid overdose, will also be available at the event for free.

Gatton College of Pharmacy student Christina Tarasidis said the goal of the event is to prevent accidental poisonings and spring the word about the dangers of expired or unused medication lying around the home.

“Just to prevent any children honestly who go to their grandparents’ house and go play around in the medicine cabinets or any cabinets,” Tarasidis said. “Just to really keep that away from children or keep it away from anyone, any teenagers who want to get into it, just keep it out of the home.”

The Drug Take Back event runs until 1 p.m. at parking lot 22C across from the soccer field on ETSU’s main campus.

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