TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL: TCHPD Drug Take Back Day Chapel Hill Police Offer Safe Way to Discard Prescription Medications

By Press release submission

Oct 15, 2021

Town of Chapel Hill issued the following announcement on Oct. 15.

The Chapel Hill Police Department is partnering with Wegmans to offer you a safe way to get rid of unused, expired, or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. On Saturday, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, you can drop off those medications at Chapel Hill’s only Wegmans grocery store.

Wegmans (1810 Fordham Boulevard, Chapel Hill, N.C., 27514)
Saturday, October 23
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Medications are the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths among children, according to Operation Medicine Drop, a statewide campaign that aims to eliminate the problem.

“Something as simple as leaving a bottle of expired or no longer needed prescription medications in a medicine cabinet, within the reach of children, can lead to accidental death,” said Sergeant Charlie Pardo, of the Chapel Hill Police Department. “Taking just a few minutes to gather those medications and bring them into Wegmans is potentially life-saving.”

Operation Medicine Drop reports an average of four people each day die of overdose in North Carolina and 79% of those deaths involve some type of opioid.

“Make sure you are aware of the prescription opioids in your home and ask yourself whether they still need to be there,” said Pardo. “We don’t want them to end up in the wrong hands.”

Properly disposing medications helps protect the environment and our community’s health, according to Orange Water and Sewer Authority. The agency asks you not to flush medication or put it down drains because it can contaminate our local water system.

Since the first drug take-back event in North Carolina, in 2010, Operation Medicine Drop has collected more than 246 million pills, supported more than 4,284 events, and assisted in the placement of more than 490 drop box locations.

“We hope our community understands this is a serious problem with a simple solution,” said Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue. “This important event is another example of the Guardians of the Hill acting on our mission to enhance the quality of life in our community. We appreciate the partnership with Wegmans and look forward to a successful event this Saturday.”

Original source can be found here.