Boone County setting up multiple prescription drug take back locations

Law enforcement agencies across Boone County are taking back prescription drugs Saturday coinciding with the national event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with the Youth Community Coalition and other law enforcement agencies, are hosting the drug take back event that started Friday. The Sheriff’s Department is asking people to come forward and dispose of their expired or unwanted medication properly at any of the following locations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday:

Ashland Police Department 601 E. Broadway, Ashland, Mo.
Centralia Police Dept. Lobby 114 S. Rollins, Centralia, Mo.
Hallsville Police Dept. 202 Highway 124 East, Hallsville , Mo.
Hickman High School 1104 N. Providence Road, Columbia, Mo. (north entrance)
Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Road, Columbia, Mo. (east entrance)

For the first time, the DEA is also accepting vaping devices and cartridges. Officials are asking that the battery packs are removed first. Officials are also asking sharp objects, like needles, are not taken to the events.

The Department of Natural Resources says people tend to flush their unwanted drugs down the toilet or their sink but this may affect the environment. Municipal wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove all the ingredients from the medications in the treatment process. Untreated or partially treated pharmaceuticals are then released into nearby lakes, rivers or groundwater.

If you can’t make it to any of the take back locations, you can learn how to properly dispose of your unwanted or expired medications at home.

You can also find other locations to drop off the medications.

KMIZ