Several locations across CSRA hosting for National Drug Take-Back Day
WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WJBF)- Saturday, April 27th is National Drug Take-Back Day, and several locations around the CSRA will be open to collect unused prescription drugs.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office is one of those locations, and they say keeping unused or expired prescription drugs in your home can be dangerous.
We spoke to Captain Ben Harman with the Narcotics Division, who says it’s easy to throw away medicines that are past the expiration date–but it’s not the best idea.
“Lots of people throw it in the trash, they flush it down the toilet–they do a bunch of different things,” said Harman. “Those things are not recommended, because if you throw it in the trash then it can get into unwanted hands, or if you flush it it can contaminate the water supply. So the best way to dispose of it is to come to one of these events, drop it off, and we’ll take it and properly dispose of it.”
They have hosted the event in the past, but Harman says it’s also a great time to address a nationwide drug problem.
He says the issue is a combination of several factors, including prescription meds being prescribed incorrectly, and fentanyl being mixed with different street level narcotics.
“We see a rise in that all over the country, and unfortunately people are taking these medications and not knowing the true danger involved in it. So they might take something they think is a prescription that would do just fine for them, and it ends up costing them their life,” Harman said.
He also says the Sheriff’s Office has seen an uptick in people misusing drugs to numb the pain they are feeling, but part of the reason why is due to what Harman calls “street pharmacists”.
“These ‘street pharmacists’ are taking different drugs–mixing them together in a blender basically–and then pressing them into the pill form. So, a person can take a pill that they think is supposed to be a pain reliever, but it end’s up costing them their lives,” said Harman.
The Sheriff’s Office has also partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to put on this event, but the solution to this problem also lies in the hands of medical professionals.
“The doctors and pharmacists are cracking down on their actual prescribing of the drugs, and we try to come in and help with the disposal of it when you’re done with the medication,” Harman said. “We also have to look on the back end on the judicial process, seeing that courts are prosecuting when someone is caught dealing these street level drugs that are taking people’s lives.”
That’s another reason why Harman says this event is a big deal to the Sheriff’s Office.
“We believe it’s very important. We believe that the more we can educate people that this is a thing we offer, they can bring them in here, it keeps them off the streets,” Harman said. “Through education and the actual service of disposing of them, we think it’s very important–that’s why we partner every year to host this event.”
You can take prescription drugs to The Burke County Sheriff’s Office tomorrow, April 27th, from 10 AM-12 PM.
They are one of several locations around the CSRA hosting collection sites.
To find the full list of locations, you can that link on the Drug Enhancement Administration’s website by clicking here.
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