A steady stream of residents took advantage of the the prescription drug take back day Saturday at the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages.
Bill Westwood who lives in the Village of Fenney drove all the way to the store Buffalo Ridge Plaza to take advantage of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office drug disposal day.
He thanked Deputy Henshaw who took the bag of prescription drugs from Westwood. Westwood said that the service was “terrific” and “this was a better way to dispose of the drugs than flushing them down the toilet.”
The deputies were assisted by the Walmart lead pharmacy tech, Tommy Holdener and Rozanne Grady who is the drug prevention coordinator for the Sumter County Community Action Partnership (CAP). Grady had prepared packets containing materials to keep families and their pets safe while disposing of prescription drugs.
The packets also contained Deterra, a drug deactivation powder which dissolves drugs and renders them harmless. Grady explained that the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office maintains three collection sites:
- 50 East McCollum Avenue in Bushnell
- 7361 Powell Road in Wildwood
- The Village Annex, 8033 East County Road 466.
The Wildwood Police Department also has a collection box at 3939 County Road 462 East. CVS pharmacies in The Villages, Wildwood, and Bushnell also have drug collection boxes available.
Grady explained that the sheriff’s office has two collection days per year with the next one scheduled for October. She is also available for drug education presentations to local clubs and organizations.
Over the years, the event has often collected 2,000 pounds of drugs which are incinerated. Grady said that Sumter County often collects three to four times the amount of drugs as surrounding counties.
