Medication Collection Day Announced: Saturday, October 24 in Dubois County

PRESS RELEASE

DUBOIS COUNTY -- You can be a part of the addiction solution by bagging your expired, unused, and unwanted pharmaceuticals and disposing of them at the Dubois County Medication Collection on Saturday, October 24, 2020 as part of the DEA National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Event.  The Jasper State Police Post, located at 2209 Newton Street, will host the collection from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT while the Celestine Fire Station, located at 6964 E State Highway 164, and the Holland Fire Station, located at 504 Main Street will host from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT.

All three sites will be drive thru this fall, so residents are asked to please stay in your vehicle and a volunteer will assist you. Please wear your face covering.

The Huntingburg and Jasper Police Stations also accept pharmaceuticals 24/7 in their drop boxes located at 503 E. 1st Street and 309 E 6th Street respectively.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Chris Faulkenberg asks Dubois County residents to rid their homes of expired, unwanted, and unused medications. Unused drugs are a common household health threat that can be lessened when you clean the old and unused meds out of your home. Don’t forget vitamins, ointments, syrups, drops, herbal products, meds that should have been kept cold but were not, and aerosols not in pressurized containers. These pharmaceuticals will be accepted at the collection sites. 

No sharps or needles, infectious materials, (anything containing bodily fluids) or waste will be collected.  This collection is for private citizens only.  No collections will be accepted from businesses or health facilities.

Dubois County Solid Waste Management Director, Carla Striegel-Winner, reminds residents that correct disposal of medications creates a safer and cleaner environment, and greater public awareness reduces illegal activities and scavenging of personal property and public waste receptacles.  Pharmaceuticals, when poured down the drain, or flushed down the toilet enter the sewage system, our rivers, ground water and drinking water. Some drugs may kill the beneficial bacteria in sewage treatment plants and septic systems if flushed down the drain and may produce resistant infectious bacteria.  Burning can release toxic pollutants into the air, and if thrown in the trash, can be scavenged from trash receptacles to be illegally sold or ingested.  If they go to landfills, drugs can create toxic leachate, which could contaminate the environment.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department will supervise the collections at the Celestine and Holland Fire Stations, and the Indiana State Police will supervise the Jasper Post site.  

This project impacts the substance abuse and environmental stewardship of Dubois County communities.  The sponsors of this Dubois County Medication Collection are the DEA, Indiana State Police, Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Dubois County Solid Waste Management District, Dubois County Substance Abuse Council, Dubois County CARES, Fire Stations, and TRI-CAP RSVP.