Capt. Charles Lowery removes prescriptions disposed of in new drug collection boxes at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office East Annex on Tuesday in Ooltewah. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has provided three drug collection boxes to the Hamilton County Sheriff Office. The boxes are intended to give citizens a safe way to dispose of expired or unneeded medication to protect the water supply and reduce prescription abuse.DRUG TAKE BACK EVENTThe event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the following locations.• East Chattanooga Improvement, Inc., 1502 McCallie Ave., Suite A & B• Blood Assurance, 705 East Fourth St.• Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, 6223 Dayton Blvd.• Hamilton County Coalition and Walgreens Pharmacy, 2289 Gunbarrel Road• Brainerd Village, 5770 Brainerd Road• CVS Pharmacy, 4700 Highway 58 at Hal Drive• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department, Saturday and SundayDROP BOX LOCATIONS• Chattanooga Police Department, Property and Evidence Room, 3204 Amnicola Highway. (The box will be available 24 hours per day and is expected to be ready on Nov. 1 for drop-offs. To call ahead and check, call the property room at 643-5153.)• Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, West Sector, 6233 Dayton Blvd., or East Sector, 8395 Hickory Valley Road (Drugs can be deposited in the box inside either lobby between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Oct. 28.)
Local law enforcement agencies are beginning to install drug deposit boxes for residents to dump unwanted prescription drugs.
“We’re just keeping our fingers crossed and hoping people use them a lot,” Chattanooga Police Department Lt. Brian Cotter said.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office will have two deposit boxes available to the public beginning Monday, Capt. Charles Lowery said at a Tuesday news conference called by the sheriff.
“You don’t have to take the pills out of the bottles. You can just bring them by in a plastic bag and just dump them,” he said.