Volunteers gathered unused medications on Saturday during the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Lexington police provided a free, secure, and anonymous way for residents to dispose of old pill bottles. At Kentucky American Water, they accepted everything from expired prescriptions to pet medications.
Preventing theft and accidental poisoning
Lexington Police Lt. Brandon Helm said the initiative plays a key role in keeping medications off the streets and out of the hands of children.
“If people know that a person has prescription medication, whether they be elderly, or someone who needs those types of medications, that could be the reason or a break in,” Helm said.
Helm added that children face a serious risk of accidental poisoning.
“Kids are always curious. I have two of my own, I know they’re very curious. They don’t know necessarily what they’re doing sometimes — it looks like a pill, or a piece of candy,” he said.
Protecting water supply
Officials emphasized that Take Back Day also prevents medications from contaminating the water supply by offering a safer alternative to flushing drugs down sinks or toilets.
“We don’t want people flushing these things down the toilet or in the sink. It seems convenient, but don’t do that,” Helm said.
Within just a few hours, collection boxes can fill up completely. Police noted that during one of last year’s events, they gathered roughly 2,000 pounds of medication.
Representatives from the UK College of Pharmacy said helping people dispose of medication properly can have a real impact on the community.
“Its very important for people to know how to dispose of their medication and being able to have a direct impact on them is very valuable,” David Meneses said.
If you missed Saturday’s event, you can find year-round drop-off locations here.
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