The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will take part in a national effort to collect unused and expired medications for safe disposal on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The initiative aims to reduce the risk of prescription drug misuse and prevent potentially dangerous medicines from being improperly discarded. Residents are encouraged to bring their unused prescription drugs for disposal at either the STPSO Law Enforcement Complex in Slidell at 300 Brownswitch Road or the Covington complex at 2070 Collins Blvd.
Tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs will be accepted during the event. The collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs. Liquid products such as cough syrup should remain sealed in their original containers with caps tightly secured to prevent leakage.
Participation is free and anonymous with no questions asked. Residents are advised to remove any identifying information from medication containers before depositing them.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, most misused or abused prescription drugs are obtained from family or friends—often taken from home medicine cabinets. Authorities also warn that common methods like flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in household trash can pose safety and health risks.
In addition to this one-day event with the Drug Enforcement Administration, permanent drug take-back boxes are available year-round at both STPSO locations during business hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
More information about National Drug Take Back Day can be found at www.DEATakeBack.com.
