Police to collect unwanted prescription drugs on April 30

Greencastle City Police will team with the Putnam County Sheriff's Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to collect unwanted prescription drugs from the public on Saturday, April 30.

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., city, county and DEA officers will be stationed in the upper parking lot in front of the office area at Greencastle High School, 910 E. Washington St., to conduct the "no-questions-asked" effort.

Residents are invited to bring in any medications -- pills, liquids and prescription bottles -- for proper disposal.

The program -- which is free of charge and done as a public service -- is an effort to help the public avoid prescription drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Throwing such pills into the trash or flushing them down the drain creates an environmental problem later when material gets into streams and groundwater.

City Police Chief Tom Sutherlin asks that anyone dropping off items enter the GHS parking area through the Percy Julian Drive entrance, proceed to the area by the office and then exit onto Washington Street to avoid potential traffic problems.

All items collected will be destroyed by the DEA at no cost to the community, Sutherlin said.

The police chief explained that this is only the second year of the program and the first participation for Greencastle and Putnam County. Last year, 55 Indiana locations collected 4,800 pounds of prescription medication for disposal.

Chief Sutherlin has posted a number of flyers around town, especially in pharmacies and nursing homes, to help publicize and explain the Drug Take Back Day event.