151 pounds collected in Muskingum Co. for Drug Take Back Day

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Another successful Drug Take Back Day is in the books and local officials are calling this years results outstanding.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said this was one of the busiest years for the drug drop-off drive thru; bringing in a total of 151 pounds of unused prescription pills between two locations.

“We have two different sites that we run, there was 126 [pounds] from our health department site and another 25 [pounds] from Riesbecks, so there was 151 [pounds] total here out of Muskingum County,” said Sheriff Lutz.

Liquids and sharps were also collected at the drop-off. Throughout the entire state of Ohio, over 16 tons of prescription drugs were properly disposed of.

A  turnout that Sheriff Lutz said ultimately protects the safety of the community.

“It’s just so important not to have these drugs in the wrong spots. We get so many calls from family members that have had pills stolen out of their house; pills [that] can end up in the wrong hands of a child. Obviously, we don’t want folks dumping them down the toilets and getting them into the septic systems and throwing them out in the dump or the trash, because they end up in the landfills and it’s hard to tell who will get their hands on them,” said Sheriff Lutz.

For those who still need to properly dispose of unused prescription drugs the Muskingum County Jail houses a permanent drop-off at 28 north 4th street.