Drug Take Back set for City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 23
Free, no-questions-asked program set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
MELISSA (September 30, 2021) The fall edition of the twice-yearly Drug Take Back Program is set for Saturday, Oct. 23 when Melissa Police ask residents to come to City Hall and drop off their unused, expired, and unwanted drugs and medications for proper disposal.
The Drug Take Back day is set for Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the lobby of City Hall, 3411 Barker Ave. There is no charge to participate.
“Our officers will be on duty, accepting all drugs and medications, whether over-the-counter or prescribed by doctors,” says Police Chief Duane Smith. “We do this for people who might not know what to do with these chemicals, some of which can be toxic. Letting us properly dispose of these drugs and medications relieves residents of the burden, and, at the same time, we remove these substances from circulation, preventing them from being abused or discarded into our water supply.”
The free service offers a no-contact, no-questions-asked way to get rid of these substances safely. Officers will be monitoring the drop off receptacles to ensure the security of the process, proving a safe and protected way to dispose of these drugs.
Participants are asked to enter the City Hall lobby through the main entry on the eastern side of the building, facing Hwy 5. Face masks are not required but encouraged.
The program is not intended for illicit or illegal drugs or paraphernalia, and needles, syringes and pressurized inhalers will not be accepted.
“Unwanted drugs and medications need to be properly disposed of for many reasons, but especially to prevent them from being abused,” said Chief Smith. “The federal Drug Enforcement Agency says that over 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers get them through friends or relatives right out of the family medicine cabinet.”
Also, people who flush prescription drugs down their toilets or sinks may be placing the community at risk since the contaminants may eventually find their way back into the community’s drinking water.
For more information on the program, residents may call the program’s coordinator, Officer Brandi Davidson at 972-838-1392 or via email at bdavidson@cityofmelissa.com.