The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, along with other local law enforcement groups, will hold a prescription drug take back event Friday and Saturday. The two-day event aligns with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.
Locally, the Sheriff’s Department is partnering with the Youth Community Coalition and law enforcement agencies in Ashland, Columbia, Centralia, Hallsville, MU and the Truman VA for the event.
“The benefits of the Take Back event include the fact that these prescription medications will not fall into the hands of our youth or those who may suffer from addiction,” Boone County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Proper disposal also helps protect the environment by preventing medications from being flushed down the toilet, contaminating ground source water.
According to Capt. Brian Leer of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, the last take back event for the county was held in April and collected 30 boxes of prescription drugs, which equaled 572 pounds. The DEA reported on its website the total weight collected in April for the National Take Back Day was 839,543 pounds.
Two collection sites will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday:
Harry S. Truman VA Hospital, 800 Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO.
MU Student Center, 901 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO.
Five collection sites will be open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday:
Ashland Police Department, 601 E. Broadway, Ashland, MO.
Centralia Police Department Lobby, 114 S. Rollins St., Centralia, MO.
Hallsville Police Department, 202 Highway 124 East, Hallsville, MO.
Hickman High School (north entrance), 1104 N. Providence Road, Columbia, MO.
Rock Bridge High School, 4303 S. Providence Road, Columbia, MO.
“Items that will not be accepted include needles, intravenous (IV) solutions, injectables and/or syringes due to the potential hazard posed by bloodborne pathogens,” Truman VA Public Affairs Officer Jeff Hoelscher said in a news release. Inhalers and other air compressed cylinders will also not be accepted.
Sharps containers for proper disposal of needles are available to the community for free through the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department.
“In place of a sharps container, people can use heavy plastic containers that are leak-resistant with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid, such as laundry detergent containers. The container should also be labeled to make the contents known,” Sara Humm, public information specialist for the Health Department, said in an email.
All medications collected during the two-day event will be turned over to the DEA for proper disposal.
