DECATUR, Ga. – As spring cleaning is in full swing, health and law enforcement officials are reminding residents to properly dispose of the expired, unneeded and unwanted medications taking up space in the medicine cabinet.
To make the process free and easy, the DeKalb County Board of Health is joining forces with the DeKalb County Police Department to provide six drive-thru drop-off locations on Saturday, April 28, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration has designated April 28, 2018, as the 15th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
“Prescription drug misuse, including opioid abuse and overdoses, has created a public health crisis that our community must address with great urgency,” said DeKalb County District Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A. “We are excited to join the DeKalb County Police Department for this take-back event, as we share a common goal of keeping excess prescription drugs out of our community.”
The importance of proper drug disposal is also echoed by those in law enforcement.
“The opioid crisis facing our community is one of the greatest health and public safety threats we have encountered. In 2015, over 2 million Americans suffered from a substance use disorder,“ says DeKalb County Chief of Police James W. Conroy. “Properly disposing of old and unneeded medication is a key factor in addressing this crisis. Please participate in our drug take-back day to help make our community safer.”
The free drive-thru drop-off locations on Saturday, April 28, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. are:
- Clifton Springs Health Center
3110 Clifton Springs Road, Suite D, Decatur
- East DeKalb Health Center
2277 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road, Lithonia
- North Central Police Precinct
1960 West Exchange Place, Tucker
- North DeKalb Health Center
3807 Clairmont Road, NE, Chamblee - Richardson Health Center
445 Winn Way, Decatur - Tucker Police Precinct
4451 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker