Dubois County residents are asked to rid their homes of expired, unwanted, and unused medications. Bag your expired, unused, and unwanted pharmaceuticals and dispose of them at the Dubois County Medication Collection on Saturday, October 28, in collaboration with the DEA National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Event. The Jasper State Police Post, located at 2209 Newton Street, will host the collection from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT while the St. Henry Fire Station located at 1211 W. 100 S. Ferdinand, and the Celestine Fire Station located at 6964 E. St. Rd. 164 Celestine, will host the two county collection sites from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Jasper Police Station located 309 E. 6th St also accepts pharmaceuticals 24/7 in their drop boxes.
Why participate in the Drug Take Back Day? Unused drugs are a common household health threat that can be lessened when you clean the old and unused meds out of your home. Don’t forget vitamins, ointments, syrups, drops, herbal products, meds that should have been kept cold but were not, and aerosols not in pressurized containers. Vapes/e-cig devices with the batteries removed are being collected at the sites as well.
No sharps (auto-injectors, needles, syringes, IV catheters, blades, lancets, auto-injectors, infusion sets, connection needle/sets, and glass), infectious materials, (anything containing bodily fluids) or waste will be collected. This collection is for private citizens only. No collections will be accepted from for-profit businesses or health facilities.
Dubois County Solid Waste Management reminds residents that correct disposal of medications creates a safer and cleaner environment, and greater public awareness reduces illegal activities and the scavenging of personal property and public waste receptacles. Pharmaceuticals, when poured down the drain, or flushed down the toilet enter the sewage system, and potentially our rivers, groundwater and drinking water. Some drugs may kill the beneficial bacteria in sewage treatment plants and septic systems if flushed down the drain and may produce resistant infectious bacteria. Burning can release toxic pollutants into the air, and if thrown in the trash, can be scavenged from trash receptacles to be illegally sold or ingested. If they go to landfills, drugs can create toxic leachate, which could contaminate the environment.
There are reasons why expiration dates are stamped on medication containers. Chemical compositions and potency can change and become altered with age. Keeping expired and unused medicines in the home is not safe. Some medicine looks like candy to a child, and some may be tempting to a teen or someone with a problem.
The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department will supervise the collections at the St. Henry and Celestine Fire Stations, and the Indiana State Police will supervise the Jasper Post site.
The sponsors of this Dubois County Medication Collection are the TRI-CAP RSVP, DEA, Indiana State Police, Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Dubois County Solid Waste Management District, Dubois County Substance Abuse Council, Dubois County CARES, and Dubois Community Fire Stations.
