Drug Takeback Day on Saturday
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – This Saturday will serve as a great day to clean out your medicine cabinet for the DEA’s National Drug Takeback Day. The Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department to offer two locations to drop off prescription drugs for safe and proper disposal on.
“It’s important the the community knows it’s there so that somebody doesn’t have to leave drugs in the medicine cabinet or in their home where, you know, somebody visiting them might take those pills. Or somebody that might want to break into their home to take these pills to either use themselves or sell for money,” Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said. “We also don’t want people dumping them down the toilet, dumping them on the side of the road, putting them in trash cans, you know, going to land fills. We want to try to dispose of these drugs the right way and be friendly to our environment. ”
The first drop-off box can be found at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department in downtown Zanesville and another at the Riesbeck’s in South Zanesville on June Parkway. Drop-offs can be made without getting out of your vehicle.
“Some folks think that they may be able to use it again and then they don’t keep track of how old it is. So then if it’s outdated medicine, it may not work the same way as you ingest it. So it could be unsafe for you to do. It can also be something that falls into of a little person. You know, a child, grandchild, somebody that shouldn’t be having the stuff and you could also mix it up with your other medication that you recently got,” Lutz said. “So it’s just a safe way that if you’re not needing it, if you’re done taking it, it’s just a great idea to get it out of your house and not have it there. ”
There is also a year-round drop-off location at the county jail on North 4th Street in the lobby if you miss this Saturday’s Drug Tack-back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Riesbeck’s site can only accept pills and tablets while the health department can also accept liquids and sharps.
