Not sure about other people, but I know I have a bunch of old drugs I need to dispose of properly and when I came across the article above I figured others may benefit from this as well. Right now it seems you can drop off old drugs at the Greer Police Station. On April 26th, this years Amnesty Day, you can drop off not only unwanted medications, but electronics and documents at the recycling center at 315 Buncome Street.
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20140316/NEWS/303160043/Greer-Police-set-up-drop-box-old-meds
The Greer Police Department is offering an
additional option for those who have expired and unused medication sitting around the house.
Mounted inside the department’s lobby near the front entrance is a drop box specifically for those old and useless drugs and prescriptions.
Every year, the department, along with other law enforcement agencies across the country, participates in what’s known as Operation Take Back.
Initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency, the goal of the effort is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible way for people to dispose of old and unwanted medications and prescription drugs.
The city of Greer does it twice a year. During the fall, it takes place at McLeskey-Todd Pharmacy. And in the spring,
Operation Take Back happens in collaboration with the city’s annual Amnesty Day in April when Greer residents can dispose of electronics and documents along with unwanted medications at the recycling center at 315 Buncombe St. off Brushy Creek Road.
This year’s Amnesty Day is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. April 26, said Skipper Burns, public services director.
About 350 pounds of old prescription drugs were collected last year from that event and the one held in the fall, said Sgt. Chad Richardson, community outreach officer.
Richardson said he wanted to offer another option in case folks couldn’t make it for those seasonal drop-offs.
“What I was looking at was that only doing it twice a year kind of puts people in a bind,” Richardson said. The box, donated by McLeskey-Todd Pharmacy, is accessible 24 hours a day and people can make their drop-offs without paying any fee.
And contrary to popular belief, you’re not supposed to flush such items down the toilet, Richardson said.
“There are two problems: A lot of people think it’s OK to flush medicine down into the toilet but that gets into the water, into the water treatment plants and if it’s really strong stuff, they don’t have the ability sometimes to get all of it out,” Richardson said.
So this hopefully can help make the environment safer, he said.
The second problem is potential for abuse, especially with teenagers, Richardson said.
“They know that grandparents and relatives who may be having severe medical conditions are sometimes given really strong dose medications and they like to sneak that stuff out.”
Collections are destroyed by the department, said Lt. Jim Holcombe.
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