The Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will help residents rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs on May 5 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
medications for disposal can come to the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office located at 210 East Hemlock St. in Yadkinville. The service is free and anonymous, and no questions will be asked.
There will also be drop off locations at Buck Shoals Volunteer Fire Department, West Yadkin Volunteer Fire Department, East Bend Volunteer Fire Department and Forbush Volunteer Fire Department.
Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds—188.5 tons—of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement partners. In its three previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in almost a million pounds—nearly 500 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like The Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.
The Sheriff’s Office always accepts unwanted and discarded medications daily at their Criminal Investigation Division located on Main Street in Yadkinville, during normal business hours.
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