Sheriff's Office Opens Permanent Disposal Sites for Medicines

Take a look in your medicine cabinet. Chances are it contains old, outdated and unused prescription and non-prescription medications. So flush them down the toilet, right? Not so fast. Recent studies have shown trace amounts of pharmaceuticals ending up in water supplies and negatively affecting aquatic life.

It's not just a water quality issue, though. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has unveiled a new Operation Medicine Cabinet that is open seven days a week. This program allows Pinellas County residents to drop off unused or expired medications at a safe place where they will be immediately disposed of.