Urbana police to hold drug drop-off event Saturday

0

Local residents can get rid of unused or expired medication this weekend.

The Urbana Police Division will hold a drug drop-off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot behind the division’s headquarters, 205 S. Main St. Officer Brian Cordial said the annual drop-off is part of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Cordial said any prescription or over the counter medication will be accepted as long as it is not in a liquid, salve or syringe. Medicine should also be removed from capsules.

Cordial said the event provides people the opportunity to dispose of these medications so they do not end up in a landfill or flushed down a toilet.

“That creates a problem with the wastewater treatment plant and it causes the possibility of contamination in the water of the surrounding area,” Cordial said. “What we do is we’ll take those and collect them, we’ll get a good weight on them and then send them off to the DEA and they’ll take them to an incinerator.”

He also noted leaving loose pills around leaves people open to theft or medication being used illegally.

During last year’s drug drop off, Cordial said police collected around 80 pounds of pills.

Residents who are unable to participate in Saturday’s event can bring the same kind of medications to the Urbana Police Division. Cordial added the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, Mechanicsburg Police Department and the St. Paris Police Department also have drug drop off boxes at their respective headquarters.

By Nick Walton

[email protected]

Nick Walton can be reached at 937-652-1331 Ext. 1777 or on Twitter @UDCWalton.

No posts to display