North Carolinians recently turned in 8.5 million doses of old prescription and over-the-counter drugs during Operation Medicine Drop events across the state.
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office collected more than 1 million old prescription pills and over-the-counter medication—the biggest haul in the state.
North Carolina Department of Justice Spokeswoman Noelle Talley said the 8.5-million mark hit last month topped the previous record of 7.7 million pills collected during a similar event last spring.
“North Carolinians cleaned out their medicine cabinets and turned in more unused drugs than ever before, keeping potentially dangerous drugs from being misused or abused,” N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said.
According to Talley, Operation Medicine Drop helps cut down on prescription drug abuse and environmental damage by encouraging people to properly dispose of old drugs that are no longer needed.
Cooper, along with local law enforcement agencies and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, sponsored more than 150 drug take-back events statewide Sept. 29. Among the 11,000 pounds of drugs collected were painkillers such as Hydrocodone, Oxycontin and Fentanyl, all of which can be highly addictive and even deadly if abused.
“More and more young people are abusing prescription drugs, and most of them get the drugs from their own home or a friend’s home. By getting unused drugs out of our homes, we can help fight this epidemic,” Cooper said.
The SBI gathered the drugs collected by local law enforcement and delivered them to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved incinerator in Alamance County for safe destruction.
