Lilburn police to take back pills next week

As of Friday, November 11, 2011
© Copyright 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post

LILBURN -- Lilburn police are joining the national effort to safely dispose of prescription medications in bulk.

From Nov. 14 to 18, the Lilburn Police Department will conduct a prescription pill take-back program, where citizens can discard expired or unused pills as an alternative to flushing them down toilets or putting them out with the garbage.

"Citizens will be able to stop by the police department and turn in their prescriptions in any container with no questions asked," said Lilburn police spokesman Capt. Ben Hayes.

The program comes on the heels of similar efforts by municipalities from Norcross to Braselton and others throughout metro Atlanta. The events are intended to help curb prescription drug abuse, much like the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day last month.

In two events earlier this year, about 4,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in Georgia collected more than 309 tons of pills.

According to a 2009 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, more than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. The Partnership for a Drug Free America estimates that 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high each day.

It's believed that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from friends and family.

In Lilburn, drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each business day next week. The Lilburn Police Department is at 76 Main St.

For more information, call Lilburn police Senior Investigator Kim Banks at 770-638-2220.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID

Gwinnett Daily Post