EATON — On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Kroger Pharmacy is hosting Drug Takeback Day in conjunction with the Eaton Police Division.
This Drug Enforcement Administration-sponsored event is an opportunity for citizens of Eaton to dispose of unwanted or expired medicines, according to Pharmacy Manager Arthur Troutwine.
“There are many reasons it is important to dispose of meds safely and responsibly,” Troutwine said in an email last week. “According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 44.9 percent of people who misuse prescription painkillers obtained them from a family member or friend. Additionally, it is important to protect the water supply — don’t flush prescription drugs,” he continued.
“Drug Takeback Day is a great opportunity to make sure unwanted medicines are disposed of properly,” Troutwine said. “We also have some capacity to collect needles and syringes, so if you don’t have a ‘sharps’ container at home you can get rid of them on Saturday,” he noted.
According to Troutwine, Kroger Pharmacy will be providing educational materials about prescription drug misuse, at-home-disposal packets, and more.
Kroger pharmacies, in coordination with Cardinal Health and local police departments, have collected over 158,000 pounds of unused or expired medications, according to Kroger officials.
Other collection sites include the Eaton Police Division Office on North Maple Street in Eaton, and the Preble County Sheriff’s Office, according to the DEA.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day takes place at locations across the country. DEA and its partners collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
For more than a decade, the event has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications — those that are old, unwanted, or expired — that too often become a gateway to addiction, according to the DEA.
Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at close to 5,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.
