People wanting to dispose of their unused prescription drugs may do so April 24 when the Murphy Police Department holds its first of the twice-yearly Drug Take Back Day events.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MPD head­quarters, 206 North Murphy Road. The service is free and anonymous.

“Unneeded or unwanted drugs and medications can be dropped off in a free, easy way,” MPD Lt. Adana Barber said in a news release. “Taking these drugs and medications and dis­posing of them properly is much better for our community than allowing them to be abused or dumped into drains at home.”

Keeping drugs and medica­tions out of circulation and out of the water system are two reasons MPD participates in the Drug Take Back program. During the event, members of the police department will be accepting unwanted or expired prescription drugs for disposal, and for added convenience, of­ficials will accept the drugs and medications from participants who drive up to the area facing police headquarters.

“Participants can drive right up to our parking area and we will walk up and take the drugs,” Barber said. “They won’t even have to get out of the car.”

Inclement weather may pre­vent the curbside service, how­ever.

People who flush prescrip­tion drugs down their toilets or sinks may be placing the larger community at risk, because the contaminated wastewater may eventually find its way back into the system, officials said.

Properly disposing of these drugs can prevent them from being abused, as statistics show that over 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers get them through friends or relatives right out of the family medicine cabinet, officials said.

“It’s not unusual for Drug Take Back events to produce an accumulation of as much as 700 pounds of unused, unwant­ed, expired or unknown drugs,” Barber said. “We get both pre­scription and over-the-counter drugs and medications, and we take them all, with no questions asked.”

But new or used needles, new or used syringes and full or empty pressurized inhalers will not be accepted.

For more information on the program, residents may call 972- 468-4210 or contact Lt. Barber at [email protected].

For more stories like this, see the April 15 issue or subscribe online.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]