Clarksville, TN – In the ever changing world of drug abuse, prescription drug abuse is currently a leading problem among both youth and adults in the United States.
There are many reasons that communities struggle with drug addiction, but two of those reasons that community organizations can create community awareness around, are the perception of harm and ease of access to prescription drugs.
Many often think of them as “safer” because they are prescribed by a doctor.
Due to these perceptions, medications are not properly counted, locked, or destroyed, which creates more accessibility to young people and adults in their homes or community member’s homes.
In an effort to combat prescription drug abuse, the Clarksville Police Department has teamed up with the “Count it, Lock it, Drop it” program and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Office of Sustainable Practices to get the word out on the dangers of prescription drug abuse and provide a location to safely drop off old or unused medications.
Captain Gipson, the Special Operations Unit Commander—“The Clarksville Police Department’s Special Operations Unit has visited 31 Pharmacies in the city providing information about the “Count it, Lock it, Drop it” program as well as the locations of the medication drop boxes.”
The drop box hours are Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:00pm. These are for citizens to dispose of their medications/medicated personal items and are not intended for businesses i.e. hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, etc. who are required to dispose of their medications in a manner consistent with DEA guidelines. The medication drop boxes have been in place since December of 2013 and have collected 1966.69 lbs of medications that will not find their way into the wrong hands.
Clarksville Police Department’s Medication Drop Box Locations
- Lobby of District 1 Precinct: 211 Cunningham Lane
- Lobby of District 3 Criminal Investigations: 1584 Vista Lane
- Lobby of Police Headquarters:135 Commerce Street
Acceptable Items
- Prescription Medications
- All over the counter medications
- Pet medications
- Medicated Ointments, lotions or drops
- Liquid medications in leak proof containers
- Pills in plastic containers, baggies, or foil
Unacceptable Items
- Illegal Drugs or Narcotics
- Needles / Sharps or Syringes with Needles
- Blood sugar equipment
- Thermometers
- IV Bags
- Bloody or Infectious Waste
- Personal Care Products i.e. Shampoo, Lotions etc.
