Sixty Pounds of Medication Collected During Take Back Day

Sixty pounds of unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs were collected on Saturday, October 28 during the Prescription Drug Take Back Day sponsored locally by the DeKalb Prevention Coalition.
“This year the poundage really means medication weight because we were required to take the medication out of containers before weighing. We had a steady flow from the community with 28 bringing in medication for disposal. Thank you to our 19 volunteers from the DeKalb County Health Department, DeKalb County Coordinated School Health, along with the Smithville Police Department and Chief Mark Collins,” said DeKalb Prevention Coalition Coordinator Lisa Cripps.
The next Take Back will be in April but until then remember a drop box is located inside the Smithville City Hall Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for collection of medication.
Statistics from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that 55% of prescriptions are obtained free from a friend or relative. Kristina Clark, the Executive Director of Count It! Lock It! Drop It! states “Parents and family friends become accidental drug dealers by leaving medications out on counters, unlocked and/or unmonitored. Three simple steps can make a big difference in prescription drug abuse.” The DPC’s comprehensive community plan for prescription drug abuse prevention, “Count It! Lock It! Drop It!” encourages residents to frequently count their pills, properly lock them, and drop any unused, expired or unwanted pills in the drop box.
The Mission of DPC is to unite community leaders and citizens of DeKalb County forming strong partnerships across major community sectors with the goal of reducing substance abuse. The DPC would like to extend an invitation to all residents to become a part of the coalition. The meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm. For more information about DPC or child abuse awareness, please contact Community Outreach Liaison Norene Puckett at (615) 215-8690 or the facebook page at facebook.com/DeKalbPreventionCoalition.