Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Sheriff’s Department Institutes Medication Collection Program
Press release
Sheriff Jimmy Brown has announced that the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department has partnered with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Health to institute a unique Pharmaceutical Collection Program in our county.
The goal of the collection is to prevent prescription and over-the-counter medications from getting into local waterways, into the hands of children and to ensure they are disposed of in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner.
Medication collection events and programs are part of a nationwide effort to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical products being flushed or poured down drains.
The collection drop-off box is located inside the Sheriff's Department visitation lobby and can be access 24/7. Items that can be turned in include:
Used needles and other sharps should be disposed by placing the sharps/needles in a sealed plastic container (like an empty bleach bottle) and putting that in with your household waste.
Sheriff Brown said there is no charge for the disposal and no paperwork is required from the citizens who dispose of medicines.
He added that the medicines will be destroyed periodically as needed. Brown urges all citizens to participate in the collection program to help ensure the public’s safety.
