Dispose of Old Medicines Safely March 23

Got any old medicines sitting in the medicine cabinet?

If so, now would be a great time to get rid of them safely.

Clayton Police Officer Ron Freeman will be at Walgreens on US 70 Wednesday, March 23 from 10 am to 3 pm as a part of the "Operation Medicine Drop Take Back Event" sponsored by Safe Kids North Carolina and the NC Department of Insurance. He'll be accepting old medicines of all types from the public for safe disposal.

"We'll have them incinerated," said Freeman, a member of the Department's Special Operations Division.

The event is held in conjunction with National Poison Prevent Week and gives residents a safe way to dispose of old medicines--and keep them from getting into the hands of young children, since putting them into the garbage is harmful to the environment.

"We don't want people flushing them down the toilet or putting them in the garbage," said Christina Peterson, the Safe Kids Johnston County Coordinator for the Johnston County Partnership for Children. "We want to take good care of the environment as well as taking good care of kids."

Accidental poisoning is on the rise, mostly from old medicines that are left in the home, she said. Since 1999, accidental poisoning from old medicine has claimed nearly 4,500 lives, according to figures from Safe Kids, and still poses a significant risk in many households. Operations like the one at Walgreens are intended to help remove that risk, Peterson said.

Operation Medicine Drop is supported by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, the State Bureau of Investigation and a grassroots coalition that includes the Riverkeepers of NC, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions and agencies concerned with safe medication disposal.