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A drug takeback box was installed at the Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center recently after an anonymous sponsor donated to have one purchased. 

The drug drop box, which is in the front lobby, can be used for properly disposing of prescription pills (schedule II-V and non-controlled substances), vitamins, prescription ointments, pet medications, prescription patches and OTC medications.

East Alabama Mental Health Center has partnered with the Chambers County Drug Task Force and Alabama Department of Mental Health to host Drug Take Back Days around the county ad the surrounding areas. The drop box provides a convenient option for people in rural parts of the county year-round.

“We knew we wanted to have one conveniently located in our lobby so that people could bring back expired unused unwanted medications,” said Chambers County Extension Office Coordinator Rachel Snoddy. 

The drug drop box will help alleviate the improper disposal and illegal selling of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Snoddy said people should not flush medications down the toilet, pour them down the sink drain or toss them in the garbage. 

“People don’t always know how to properly dispose of their medications. Maybe they don’t use everything that was prescribed to them, or it expired before they used everything,” Snoddy said. “So we don’t want people disposing of things in the wrong way such as flushing them down the toilet or washing them down a sink because that can get into our waterways and our drinking water supplies.”

When dropping off old or expired medications, Snoddy said people should make sure to remove any personal information that may be on the container to protect personal privacy.