Wilson County participates in Prescription Drug Takeback Day

Abbey Nutter, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·2 min read

May 1—Law enforcement agencies across Wilson County participated in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Prescription Drug Takeback Day on Saturday.

"Take Back Day events provide easy, no-cost opportunities to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to abuse and theft," the Wilson County Sheriff's Office said on social media.

Prescription and non-prescription drugs were dropped off at four different locations, where they were handed off to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, Lebanon Police Department and Mt. Juliet Police Department.

"It's a country-wide thing, where twice a year agencies host these drop off locations that people can bring unwanted pills, expired pills and non-prescription pills," Lebanon Police Department Public Information Officer Zach Patton said.

During Saturday's event, anyone who dropped of medication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. —prescription or otherwise — did so with no questions asked.

In addition to participating in the national drug take back day twice a year, the Lebanon Police Department has a DEA Drug Take Back Box that can be accessed at all times.

"The opportunity for citizens to dispose of unwanted drugs or expired drugs is obviously beneficial to our community, to allow them to get rid of those from the home because medicine expires or a family member may die and they have no need for those drugs to be in the household anymore," Patton said.

For safety reasons, syringes and inhalers are not accepted at the drug take back events or in the Lebanon Police Department's box. Between both the medications dropped off at the event and the box, the DEA collected approximately 211 pounds of medication from the Lebanon Police Department.

"We're glad to give the community a safe and responsible way to dispose of any drugs they may have," Patton said.

In addition to the law enforcement agencies participating, DrugFree Wilson County was also involved in this weekend's drug takeback day, and gave away free medication lockboxes as part of the event.

During last year's DEA Prescription Drug Takeback Days in April and October, 9,630 collection sites collected over 1.2 million pounds of unwanted or expired medication. In Tennessee alone, 12,963 pounds of medication was collected.

The next Prescription Drug Takeback Day will be held in October.