Tennessee American Water is once again joining the Hamilton County Coalition to promote the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s biannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to take place on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
Customers are asked to drop off unwanted medications at approved regional collection sites for incineration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended manner of disposing most pharmaceuticals.
Flushing medications down the toilet and throwing them in the trash are discouraged.
“Participating in Drug Take Back not only helps clear our homes of unneeded medications but also plays a vital role in protecting our watersheds," explains Lori Stenzel, Tennessee American Water manager of water quality and environmental compliance. "Together, we can foster a safer, healthier environment for our community.”
Tennessee American Water partners with the Hamilton County Coalition and other agencies to promote the proper disposal of medications to help protect waterways as well as prevent misuse of medications no longer needed.
This upcoming Saturday, residents may easily drop off unused medications at one of the 10 Hamilton County drop-offs. Regional drug take back sites will also available in Rhea and Grundy counties.
The service is free and anonymous.
“The Hamilton County Coalition is proud to partner with law enforcement and community allies like Tennessee American Water to promote safe medication disposal,” says Camilla Bibbs, Executive Director of the Hamilton County Coalition. “As a substance abuse prevention organization, we work to raise awareness of proper medication disposal in homes to reduce potential abuse.”
The following sites will also offer free shredding of personal documents: Walgreens 2289 Gunbarrel Road and Avondale Community Center at 1305 Dodson Avenue. Regional sites in the central time zone will hold their drug take back events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
More information on other ways customers can participate in source water protection can be found on the Tennessee American Water website, https://www.amwater.com/tnaw/Water-Information/Watershed-Protection/.
To learn more about drug abuse prevention, visit the Hamilton County Coalition’s website.