Saturday is drug take back day

From the Hall County Sheriff’s Office...

Several Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies and civilian staff members are ready for citizens to drop by and drop off their unwanted prescription medication as part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27.

“The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet,” according to the DEA.

This year, the Sheriff’s Office will be at two locations for the event:

Kroger 7380 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch, GA 30542

Walmart 3875 Mundy Mill Road Oakwood, GA 30566

The idea is simple, free for participants and anonymous. The public can bring unwanted pills or patches to either location where the Sheriff’s Office will collect them between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The drugs are then weighed and disposed of per DEA guidelines.

The Sheriff’s Office participated at just one location last fall but managed to collect medication from 48 people, filling three large contractor-sized garbage bags. They weighed a combined 288 pounds.

While special events are a good way for residents to clean out medicine cabinets, the Sheriff’s Office has two permanent medication drop boxes that are available year-round. They’re accessible during regular business hours in the lobbies of the Headquarters at 2859 Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville and South Precinct at 7345 Cody Drive in Flowery Branch.