The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 will provide the public with an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The 2020 event will be hosted by Wal-Mart.
Residents may bring the pills for safe disposal to Wal-Mart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza, on the sidewalk by the garden center, at 4085 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, just off County Road 466. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Sumter CAP (Community Action Partnership) Drug Free Coalition will provide drug deactivation packets for residents to take home for future safe disposal of medications.
To keep everyone safe, this is a drive-through event and deputies will retrieve your medications for safe and easy disposal and will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to the Sumter County “Operation Medicine Cabinet” Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the permanent drop box locations available all year long in each of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Offices located in Bushnell, Wildwood and The Villages.
Sumter CAP also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available at: www.sumtercap.org.
