PICKENS COUNTY — Law enforcement agencies within Pickens County hosted a “Pill Take- Back” day at three local drop-off sites on April 29 and the general public was encouraged to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, unused and unwanted prescription drugs by turning them over to law enforcement officials for proper disposal.
The volume of drugs collected during this initiative exceeded all previous events from years past in Pickens County. A total of 455 pounds of various prescription drugs and over the counter medications were turned in at the drop-off sites or collected from the Coroner’s Office or the Sheriff’s Office.
“Obviously, the program works and to see results like these tells us that the people in Pickens County care about their environment,” Sheriff Rick Clark said. “Through the partnerships that we have with other law enforcement agencies coupled with the commitment from our health care providers, we will continue to make a positive impact on our water and sewer systems by diverting these drugs away from our community. More importantly, with each collected pill, we reduce the chance that dangerous drugs fall needlessly into the hands of our children.”
Results from 2013 to 2017:
April 2017 — 455 pounds
October 2016 — 140 pounds
April 2016 — 235 pounds
September 2015 — 175 pounds
April 2015 — 390 pounds
September 2014 — 118 pounds
April 2014 — 298 pounds
October 2013 — 345 pounds
April 2013 — 147 pounds