Full Notification

(Etowah County, Alabama) The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Unit are asking Etowah County citizens to participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

The event will take place on Saturday, October 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the East Gadsden Wal-Mart and Etowah County Courthouse.

“This is a great opportunity for individuals who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications,” says Sheriff Todd Entrekin. “People can also bring their outdated over-the-counter medications to be disposed properly.”

A law enforcement officer will remain with the drug disposal box at all times, and the drugs that are turned in will be treated as evidence and properly disposed of.

The National Take-Back Initiative is designed so law enforcement officers will not handle the medications at any time, and there is no cost for those who wish to turn drugs in.

Sheriff Entrekin adds, “Those wishing to dispose of drugs can bring the original containers, but any identifying information should be removed.”

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website 50 law enforcement agencies in Alabama participating in the 13th take back event in April 2017, collecting 6,287 pounds of unused prescription medication.

The website, http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/, also says the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications.

Sheriff Entrekin states, “This event is one way Etowah County citizens can help our narcotic agents keep the illegal use of prescription medications out of the wrong hands and off our streets. I encourage everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of unused medications.”
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