The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office is working to help citizens properly dispose of expired medication with the Annual National Drug Take Back Initiative.

The event will take place Saturday from 10 – 2 p.m. Representatives will be located in front of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office for collection of any unwanted or expired prescription medication.

“You don’t want expired medication stuck in your cabinet for years for the safety of your children,” DCSO Investigator Adam Mobley said.

Mobley said that taking expired medication is dangerous, and that it shouldn’t be flushed or even thrown away because of the impact it could have on a public water system.

The sheriff’s office is working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which will dispose of the drugs.

According to the DEA, “the National Prescription Drug Take-Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.”

Mobley said that there are no questions asked regarding medication turned over and that the sheriff’s office also has a 24-hour drop box in the Decatur County Jail lobby.

This is the 10th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back by the DEA. In the previous nine events nationwide from 2010 -2014, more than 4.8 million pounds, or almost 2,500 tons, of drugs were collected for disposal.

For additional information regarding this event please contact Investigator Adam Mobley at 229-400-8034.