Tennessee American Water, Walgreens, the Hamilton County Coalition and the Hamilton County Sheriff Department announced that a special Drug Take Back will be Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Drug Take Back will take place at two Walgreens stores that in the past have not participated. Feedback from area residents whose homes are close to these Walgreens locations on Rossville Boulevard and St. Elmo area indicate that there is a high level of interest in having a safe way to dispose of unused medications.
The Drug Take Back program continues to grow in the area, as awareness of proper disposal of medications – prescription or over-the-counter as well as for pets – is raised among citizens. Since first being implemented in 2009 in the Chattanooga area, the drug collection has steadily increased, netting over 1000 pounds in the fall. The availability of more drop-off sites for drug take back has made it more convenient for consumers to properly dispose of the medications.
Overall, the purpose of drug take back events is to keep drugs out of the environment and off of our streets.
The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services highlights in its report “Prescription for Success” the epidemic level of prescription medication abuse in the State.
Having unused or expired medications in the home can lead to medication errors, accidental overdoses, or inappropriate use. In a well-intentioned effort to avoid these problems, many people flush unwanted medications down the toilet as a means of disposal. However, flushing medications means that traces of these drugs eventually end up back in the environment. The event offers citizens a chance to safely and conveniently dispose of unwanted, unused medications and avoid misuse or unintentional harm to families, pets and the environment.
In addition to the drug take back events, citizens can also dispose of drugs at permanent lock boxes throughout the year during business hours at several locations. Permanent lock boxes are located at the Chattanooga Police Department on 3204 Amnicola Highway, property room; the Hamilton County Sheriff Department at 6233 Dayton Blvd, West Sector; and the Hamilton County Sheriff Department at 8395 Hickory Valley Rd, East Sector.
The Walgreens locations for the Drug Take Back sites on December 6 are 4810 Rossville Boulevard and 3550 Broad Street.