HARRODSBURG — The next Mercer County Drug Take Back Day will be held  Saturday, Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Mercer County Fiscal Court Building, 207 West Lexington Street. The event is co-sponsored by Mercer County Crime Stoppers, Hometown Radio WHBN, the Mercer County Sheriffs Office, the Harrodsburg Police Department and The James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital.

The Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means for disposing of prescription and non prescription drugs while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Citizens are strongly encouraged to bring all their unwanted, unknown, unused or expired prescription (narcotic and non-narcotic) and/or over the counter medicines for safe disposal including pills, salves and liquid medicines. The medicines should be kept in their original containers if at all possible and not combined but it is permissible to scrape off patient names on containers if desired. No refunds or exchanges will be permitted, and sharps, needles, IV bags, lancets, medical waste and thermometers cannot be accepted.

Drug take back programs are being held all over America for four important reasons:

1. Inappropriate disposal may pose a significant risk to the public and the environment,

2. There is an increased incidence of theft from homes and residential trash, resulting in drug diversion and abuse,

3. More children are being seen in hospital emergency departments who have experimented with drugs found in medicine cabinets where they live and/or visit, and

4. Patients often share thier medications with other individuals in the absence of any pharmacist or medical supervision resulting in illness, injury and/or death.

“Please help the sponsoring organizations reduce the supply of these drugs in our community” said Dr. Earl Motzer, Chairman of the Mercer County Crime Stoppers Board.