Overton Co. Anti-Drug Coalition Drug Take Back Event

The Overton County Anti-Drug Coalition is hosting an event this Saturday that provides a safe way to dispose of old medications.

The goal of this event is to prevent overdoses or other accidents by properly disposing of unused prescriptions and medicines. Anti-Drug Coalition President Daryl Colson said the event could prevent unnecessary fatalities or accidents.

“We’ve seen an incredible uptick in accidental overdoses and overdoses in our state. Unfortunately, I think the last year’s  statistic was 1,572 of them were fatal, and there are thousands of more overdoses that aren’t fatal,” said Olson.

Colson said many times people have old medications and prescriptions that they have collected and forgotten in their medicine cabinets and the best way to safely get rid of the medication is not by flushing–which can contaminate water systems–but to take them to an event like this.

“What we can do as responsible citizens is to remove that danger from being available and one of the ways of doing is properly disposed of these medications. So with the Drug Take Back our ultimate goal is to make people aware, ‘Hey it’s time to look in that closet or in that cabinet,'” said Colson.

Colson is also the juvenile judge in Overton County, and says by taking this action you can affect change in the whole system.

“It sounds like a small part, just taking these pills and throwing them away, but it’s such a big impact on the community and the greater system such as the court system because we’re removing one opportunity for someone to get these pills, or to break the law, or to abuse their children, or–in the worst case–die in an overdose,” said Colson.

The Drug Take Back is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Super Discount Drugs.