Be Aware Blount hosts Drug Take Back

Be Aware Blount is hosting a Drug Take Back from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Blount County Justice Center on April 27.

Executive Director Amanda Small said the Take Back program allows people to dispose of prescription medications they are no longer using.

She said anyone wanting to dispose of old or unused medication can do so from the comfort of their car by driving through and handing off their medication.

The goal is to discourage other forms of disposal.

“Flushing it down the toilet is not safe for the environment and just tossing it in the trash, we don’t know who is getting to get a hold of these things,” Small explained.

Small also mentioned that the Take Back is a good way to prevent old or unused medication from being stolen.

Take Back is completely anonymous, so if someone wanted to drop off an illicit substance, they can do so without fear of reprimand, she said

After the drugs are collected, they are taken to a secondary facility, where they will be incinerated. Small urged people thinking of dropping off prescriptions not to worry about their names printed on the bottles. Everything is locked into barrels and then burned, she said.

The 2023 Drug Take Back event saw 122 vehicles and filled 20 barrels with 614 lbs of returned drugs, prescription or otherwise.

Be Aware Blount’s website says its mission is to “establish a network of community members and agencies that creates opportunities for public discourse and the implementation of strategies to reduce substance misuse.”

Small said prevention is crucial, and Be Aware Blount works to target ages 12-25 to address issues like vaping and marijuana, which could lead to stronger drug use down the road.

“We’re working with a lot of different sectors, whether it’s law enforcement, mental health, religious entities and things like that to help orchestrate ways to have open and honest conversations about substance misuse and how we can work together.”