NASHVILLE - If you have outdated prescription drugs, including narcotic painkillers, that you want to get rid of safely, Saturday is your day to get it done, according to Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The attorney general's Division of Consumer Affairs has joined with the U.S. Department of Justice and various local partners, including local law enforcement and businesses to offer safe and convenient places to dispose of medications.
In Chattanooga partners also include the Hamilton County Coalition.
Residents with sensitive personal documents and records they'd like to get rid of can also get them safely shredded at two Chattanooga locations.
A total of 17 sites will be operating in Southeast Tennessee in Hamilton, Bradley, Marion and Sequatchie counties from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (EDT) Saturday.
Residents are encouraged to bring unused, unwanted, or outdated prescription or over-the-counter medications to any of the 17 locations in the counties. Officials also ask residents if possible to bring medications in their original container and simply cross out personal information.
Items not accepted include sharp needles, IV bags, and radioactive medications.
Document shredders provided by the Division of Consumer Affairs will be available at only two Hamilton County locations: The Walgreens in East Brainerd at 2289 Gunbarrel Road and the Walgreens in Hixson at 5478 Highway 153. The centers also will accept prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Drug-only disposal sites are:
* Second Missionary Baptist Church - 2305 East 3rd St., Chattanooga
* CVS pharmacy – 4712 Main St., Jasper
* Elk's Lodge #91 – 1069 Graysville Road, Chattanooga
* Food City - 3901 Dayton Blvd., Red Bank
* Mt. Canaan Baptist Church – 4801 Highway 58, Chattanooga
* Rite-Aid – 2104 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga
* Save-A-Lot – 122 Keith St. SW, Cleveland
* Signal Mountain Police Department - 1111 Ridgeway Ave.
* Walgreens - 3605 Brainerd Road, Chattanooga
* Walgreens - 3550 Broad St., Chattanooga
* Walgreens - 5301 Ringgold Road, East Ridge
* Walgreens - 9307 Lee Highway, Ooltewah
* Walgreens - 121 Harrison Lane, Soddy-Daisy
* Walgreens & Walmart - Rankin Avenue, Dunlap
* Walmart - 501 Signal Mountain Road, Signal Mountain
Noting his office is taking legal action "on several fronts to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable for flooding this state with prescription opioid medication," Slatery said it's important to provide "safe disposal of these drugs to help break the cycle of addiction and overdose deaths in Tennessee."
With "alarmingly high" rates of prescription abuse as well as accidental poisonings due to these drugs," Slatery cautioned that "many prescription drug abusers get their drugs free from friends and family. Take Back Day is an important opportunity to guard against theft and abuse."
More information on the local event can be found at https://www.hccoalition.org/. For more consumer resources, visit the Division of Consumer Affairs at www.tn.gov/consumer.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.