UNDATED - Georgia's Attorney General announced late last week that the state will participate in the 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back (NPDTB) event later this month.
A press release from the office of Attorney General Sam Olens said the NPDTB, which is sponsored nationally by the Drug Enforcement Agency, will take place on Saturday, September 26th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The event is held each year to provide an opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely and anonymously dispose of those medications.
According to the release, officials have continued to see an alarming rate of prescription drug abuse in the United States, as well as a high number of overdoses and accidental poisonings. The release also stated that recent studies have shown that many prescription drugs that are abused are obtained from family members or friends; some are even obtained from the family medicine cabinet.
Olens has been a visible supporter of the national event, and hopes that Georgia residents will seize this opportunity: “This is a completely free and anonymous way to get rid of prescription drugs,” he said. “I encourage the citizens of Georgia to take advantage of this event.”
The NPDTB has been extremely successful since its inception in 2010. Nationwide, the previous 9 events have resulted in the collection of 4,823,251 pounds of varous prescription drugs.
The 2014 Take-Back saw 63 law enforcement agencies in Georgia collect 5,913 pounds of drugs at 81 total collection sites.
The northeast Georgia area will be host to several collection sites, which can be found below.
Kohl's
- 5851 Spouts Springs Road, Flowery Branch, GA, 30542
- Sponsored by the Hall County Sheriff's Office
Lakeside Pharmacy
- 1505 Northside Boulevard, Cumming, GA, 30041
- Sponsored by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
- 555 Stan Evans Drive, Jefferson, GA, 30549
Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
- 2900 University Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA, 30043
Hart County Sheriff's Office
- 890 Vickery Street, Hartwell, GA, 30643
Collection sites in every local community can be found here.
