Free outdated prescription drug disposal available Saturday

MUSCLE SHOALS - Curtis Burns said that in at least three out of four households in the Shoals there are outdated prescription drugs that should be disposed of.

"But a lot of people don't know what to do with them," said Burns, director of the Colbert County Drug Task Force. "If you throw them in the trash, there's always a chance someone could get them. And residents are really discouraged from flushing drugs down the toilet. So, they don't know what to do with them."

As a result of combined efforts from the owner of Avalon Discount Drugs in Muscle Shoals, the drug task force and Muscle Shoals police, area residents will have a chance Saturday to dispose of their old prescriptions.

"People can bring their old prescriptions here and we'll get them out of circulation," said Mark Ray, owner of Avalon Discount Drugs.

Ray said he thought it was a good idea when he was approached by Burns about providing the service.

"Everything has an expiration date," Ray said. "Usually, if a prescription is over a year old, it needs to be disposed of. We hope this event will get old medications out of circulation and disposed of properly."

Burns said prescription drugs have become a major target of thieves who do not care about expiration dates.

"There have been reported cases where people will go to a house, ask for a drink of water or use the bathroom, and while they're inside, they look for prescription drugs to steal," Burns said. "Every day there are vehicles broken into where someone has left prescription bottles in the cars and someone thinks it's a controlled substance or a painkiller.

"Getting the drugs that are not used anymore is a way to keep them off the streets and out of the hands of dealers and users."

Muscle Shoals Police Chief Robert Evans said the free disposal is a wonderful project.

"Many households have prescription medication that just piles up," he said.

"Rather than having it pile up around the house, this gives people a chance to dispose of the medication the proper way.

"We're not here just to put people in jail; we're just trying to help our community and the people we serve."

Ray said the event could be held annually if this weekend's event is successful.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.