By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

If your medicine cabinet is overflowing with unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs, the Vicksburg Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration has a solution for you.

The organizations have teamed up to host a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday at Walgreens, 3341 Halls Ferry Road, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., to help citizens dispose of these items.

The program will accept narcotics, over-the counter meds, prescription meds and vitamins.

Syringes, inhalers, liquid medications, ointments and lotions will not be accepted.

The Drug Take- Back Day is designed to allow residents to rid themselves of undesired medications in an environmentally pleasing way.

“This event is important for the community and will benefit it because for one it is anonymous and it creates a safer environment,” said Police Chief Milton Moore. “People can discard their medications safely and don’t have to worry about anyone going into their trash or trying to get prescriptions out. This makes people feel a lot safer and more secure.”

In the past the organizations have collected 45-50 pounds of medication during the event.

Moore believes that this program is extremely important in the fight against opioid addiction.

“I think that this is a great idea,” Moore said. “Any chance that we have to get drugs off of the street is a win-win for everybody and it’s safely done as well.”

Members of the community are encouraged to drop off their medication without fear of consequences.

“The event is anonymous,” he said. “They can just come up and discard of those medications in a box and no name or information is ever taken or even asked. I think this will cause more residents to come out because in the past years we have seen an increase in the number of people discarding their medications. So hopefully more people will show up and drop off their prescriptions.”

After collecting the medication the VPD will work to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way.

“We will take the prescriptions back to the police department and store it in an evidence room,” VPD Lt. Jeff Merritt said. “Jackson’s DEA will then come to collect it and dispose of it.”

Along with hosting the Take-Back Day, the VPD also collects prescription medication in the departments lobby year-round.