Talbot Goes Purple this week announced prescription medication collection from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. April 30, in St. Michaels, as part of National Drug Take-Back Day.
National Drug Take-Back Day is an annual collection event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA also sponsors a collection event each October; that event saw 372 tons of medications collected across more than 4,900 sites, including two in Talbot County.
For this month’s event, Talbot County Sheriff’s deputies will collect unused prescription medications at the St. Michaels Volunteer Fire Department at 1001 South Talbot St. in St. Michaels. Medication collection here in April filled an entire barrel.
Unused or expired prescription medications pose a serious public safety issue – proper disposal helps prevent misuse and abuse and helps save lives.
“Last year was the deadliest year for drug overdoses in our country’s history.” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “The path to addiction in many cases start with young people abusing prescriptions not prescribed to them, mostly from our own medicine cabinets. It is very important that we properly dispose of our unused prescriptions. Please take advantage of this take back day to keep your family and friends safe!”
Collection includes unwanted medications, vitamins and supplements — vape pens, inhalers, sharps and needles are NOT accepted. This program is anonymous – no questions asked, no identification required. The site also will include free educational materials along with free disposal and storage solutions, like Deterra bags. Deterra bags allow for medication disposal right at home, without endangering the environment.
In addition to this year’s take-back day initiative, a permanent, year-round, 24-hour a day, 7-days a week disposal box is located at the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office at 28712 Glebe Road, at the south end of the Talbot County Business Center. Other disposal locations in the county include the Maryland State Police Barrack at 7503 Ocean Gateway in Easton (24-hour); St. Michaels Police Department at 100 Freemont St. in St. Michaels (24-hour); and Oxford Police Department at 101 Market St. (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding holidays).
For more information on National Take-Back Day visit www.takebackday.dea.gov.
An initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary, in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter & Paul School and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Goes Purple empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse.
More information about Talbot Goes Purple is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find TGP on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact: [email protected].
Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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