Troop C joins Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Have unwanted, expired or unused prescription medications?

The Louisiana State Police would love to take them off your hands and out of your medicine cabinets.

LSP, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday.

As part of this event, those with unwanted prescription drugs can bring them to your LSP troop location nearest to you and they will safely dispose of them for you.

That service will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and the Tri-parish’s local LSP office is Troop C headquarters at 4047 West Park Ave. in Gray.

Saturday’s initiative will be the second of its kind. The first took place last September and approximately 121 tons of drugs were taken to nearly 4,100 sites.

LSP warns those with these medications lingering in their cabinets that they can be dangerous and “highly susceptible to diversion or misuse.”

LSP also warns that “flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose potential safety and health hazards.”

With the event nearing, the LSP has sent out a list of guidelines in advance of the event:

• Controlled (those substances which require a doctor’s prescription) non-controlled, and over-the-counter substances will be collected.

• This program is anonymous and every effort will be made to protect the anonymity of participants. No questions or requests for identification will be made.

• All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process. Law enforcement personnel will not handle the medications at any time.

• Participants may dispose of medication in its original container, or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual should remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

• All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

• Items that will not be accepted include syringes, intravenous solutions, injectibles or illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine.