GPD hosts Drug Take-Back Day

Local police will againt partner with the Drug Enforcement Agency Office to participate in the National Drug Take Back Day event on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Officials from the Greencastle Police Department will be set up at the Putnam County Fairgrounds, 64 N. U.S. 231, Greencastle.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in conjunction with the Community Connect event set to take place at the Fairgrounds Community Building.

Residents of Putnam County who have expired, unused or unwanted medications in their medicine cabinets may bring them to this event.

“This is an opportunity to get rid of them in a safe manner,” City Police Chief Tom Sutherlin said of the now-unneeded medications. “Don’t put them in your trash or flush them down the toilet (where they can negatively affect the environment).”

In addition to the GPD event, local residents may also drop off unwanted medications at the Putnamville Indiana State Police Post, 1927 U.S. 40 West, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, as ISP is also partnering with the DEA on the event.

Authorities will box up the donated drugs and deliver them to the DEA office at Indianapolis, where they are placed in an incinerator and destroyed.

Labels do not have to be removed, as any information on the prescriptions bottles will be destroyed in the incinerator.

To date, the Greencastle Police Department and Greencastle School Corporation have participated in 17 Drug Take Back events, collecting more than 4,000 pounds of medications.

Officials remind residents that the event does not include disposal of sharps.