Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day was a Success

Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and six local organizations teamed up in the effort to keep drugs off our streets.

The Muskingum County DEA, Sheriff’s Office, Health Department, Muskingum Behavioral Health, Genesis HealthCare System, and Northside Pharmacies hosted the Prescription Drug Drop Off-Drive. MBH CEO, Steve Carrel said the purpose of this event is to lower the rising statistics of prescription drug abuse by giving residents an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs.

“We raise the awareness with people to take a look at what’s in your medicine cabinet, as opposed to people all of a sudden realizing of I need to get rid of this. A lot of times when you don’t have a day like this, it doesn’t raise to a level of conscious those things don’t get deposed of and there just sitting in peoples medicine cabinets. For controlled substances, they can be easily diverted to where people could abuse them,” said Carrel.

This event began at 10 a.m and lasted until 2 p.m and was free of charge with no questions asked.

“It’s a day to reduce the availability of drugs that can be diverted as well as for us it’s just a way to divert stuff from being disposed of in the environment.”

If you couldn’t make it out today, you can drop off your unused or expired medications for a safe disposal at the Muskingum County Jail Prescription Drug Drop-Off Box. The drop off is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.