KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Metro Drug Coalition and Knoxville Police Department are partnering to participate in the DEA National Take Back Event, according to a release.
The community will have the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted medications, no questions asked, MDC said.
Safely disposing of unwanted or unused medications can help reduce the risk of accidental ingestion and substance misuse, MDC said. It can also reduce the environmental harm caused by flushing medications or disposing of them improperly.
According to MDC, data from U.S. Poison Control Centers suggest that pain medication is the most common substance implicated in adult poison exposure. From 2015-2019, a variety of medications were implicated in some of the most common and the most severe cases of accidental ingestion of household substances by children.
Properly disposing of medications reduces the chances of ingestion. The following items will be accepted:
- All household prescription and over-the-counter medications (including narcotics)
- Liquid medications
- Ointments
- Lotions
- Drops
- Pet medications
- Syringes/Medical sharps (including Epipens)
- Expired Narcan/Naloxone
The event will start on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.