News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
People taking part in Saturday’s National Drug Take-Back Day will be helping to keep the environment clean and the public safe.
The annual event provides an opportunity for residents to get rid of used or unwanted medications. Sparta Police Chief Jeff Guth said one reason people should take part is so they don’t become an accidental drug dealer.
“By people being able to have access to your old medications and unused medications, they will pilfer through and sell those things,” Guth said. “We encourage people to bring those to the drug take backs, but even during the times that we don’t do the drug take backs they can take them to a lot of the sheriff’s departments and police departments.”
Guth said National Drug Take-Back Day also benefits the environment by keeping medications out of the groundwater.
“These medications are taken out-of-state by the DEA and destroyed by an incinerators,” Guth said. “That way they don’t get into the groundwater and the systems.”
Guth said previous drug take-back day events have been a success in Sparta, with more than 90 pounds of medication collected in April.
“That was a real good day. Depending on the weather, you might take in a little less than that and sometimes you take in more,” Guth said. “Anything is better than nothing at all.”
The Sparta Police Department will collect the drugs Saturday at Walgreens on the corner of Mayberry Street and West Bockman Way from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
