The Bradley County Sheriff's Office and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), in partnership with the GRAAB (Going Respectfully Against Addictive Behaviors) Coalition will offer an opportunity for Bradley County residents to dispose of unused or expired medications.
Starting Sept. 24 through Sept. 28, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., residents can take their medications to the Criminal Investigations Division at 2290 Blythe Ave.
Substance abuse continues to be one of the most serious problems facing communities throughout the United States. Bradley County is not immune. There is a broad range of abused illegal drugs, from meth and inhalants to cough medicine. Prescription drug abuse is also a major problem and growing each day.
Officials said, "Protect yourself, your family, your community and the environment from improperly disposed of medications. Having unused or expired medication in your home can lead to medication errors, accidental overdoses and inappropriate use. Disposing of medication by flushing them down the toilet or a sink or throwing them, in the trash can lead to the contamination of the water supplies and landfills. Bring unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications for proper disposal by law enforcement officials."
Previous collection events have been very successful clearing out the medicine cabinets of Bradley County households.
The American people responded overwhelmingly to the most recent DEA-led National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On April 28, citizens turned in a record-breaking 552,161 pounds (276 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,659 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the four Take-Back Days to date are combined, the DEA and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed over 1.5 million pounds (774 tons) of medication from circulation. Locally, combining the total of the three collections events, Bradley County residents have turned in 375lbs of unused or expired medications for proper disposal.
For more information on the Drug Take Back Event, contact the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office at 423 728-7300 or the GRAAB Coalition at 423 472-5800.