Unused or unwanted pharmaceuticals can be dropped off Saturday, April 30, at Houston Walmart Supercenter.
The event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
All pharmaceuticals are accepted, including veterinary and over-the-counter drugs. No signatures are required, and no questions are asked.Â
Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse, organizers said. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or doctors supervision. The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America. The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends and the home medicine cabinet. Â
Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of 41 million Americans. These drugs have also been discovered in deep underground aquifers of 24 states tested, Missouri included. Public and private waste water systems are not designed to take these pharmaceuticals out of the water before they are discharged into rivers, streams and lakes. Proper disposal saves lives and protects the environment. The only acceptable disposal method is leaving the pharmaceuticals at a DEA collection site for incineration.
The Houston event is sponsored by the Houston Police Department, the Texas County Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Rural Water Association and the Big Piney River Stream Team Watershed Association. A drop box is available in the Texas County jail lobby. Persons can dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals 24/7 at a secure and monitored location. For more information on prescription drug abuse visit www.dea.gov. Other sites include www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com and www.justthinktwice.com.