Expired medications in the wrong hands can be dangerous

With help from the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Operation Medicine Drop continues this week at several locations throughout the area.

Safe Kids North Carolina, the State Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement are spearheading the effort to encourage the public to properly dispose of their expired medications.

Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Chris Hill said deputies will be at the Piggly Wiggly store at N.C. 11 and N.C. 55 and the Piggly Wiggly store at U.S. 258 north from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday to accept expired medications for disposal.

Sheriff’s deputies will also be at the Food Lion in La Grange from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday for the event.

“We want to help keep harmful expired prescription drugs from children,” Hill said. “Children mimic their parents and could be curious about the pills they see around the house.”

Hill also encouraged parents to properly store their medications at home and keep medications out of arm’s reach from children.

During the year, drop-off points will be set up to allow the public to safely dispose of their expired medications.

Several people dropped off their unwanted or expired prescription medications Sunday at the Neuseway Planetarium and Science Museum. The medications were recorded and delivered to the Kinston Department of Public Safety by Safe Kids Lenoir County. The items were then sent to the SBI in Raleigh for incineration.

Hill said the prescription items collected Wednesday and Saturday will also be sent to the SBI for proper disposal.

A report released this year by N.C. Division of Public Health showed that 901 people died in 2007 from unintentional poisoning statewide and that narcotics and prescription drugs accounted for 77 percent of all unintentional poisoning deaths.

Chris Lavender can be reached at 252-559 -1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.