Illinois American Water, county urge participation in Drug Take Back Day

 

From Illinois Business Journal news services

Madison County is among those participating this Saturday, April 30, in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Residents are encouraged to drop off their unwanted medications at approved collection sites so they can be incinerated, which is the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended approach for pharmaceutical disposal.

Both flushing medications down the toilet and throwing them in the trash are discouraged.

The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Disposal bins will be located in the parking lot behind the County Administration
Building, 157 N. Main St., Edwardsville. The event is sponsored locally by State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons, Sheriff John Lakin, Coroner Steve Nonn, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Illinois American Water is encouraging its customers to participate.

“This event is a great opportunity for residents to securely drop off any unused or expired medications,” said Bruce Hauk, Illinois American Water president. “It’s important for us to keep these items out of our landfills and water supplies as well as the hands of those who may misuse or abuse them.”

Hauk added, “We encourage those who cannot participate during this DEA event to continue to use their community pharmaceutical disposal programs to properly dispose of their unwanted medications. Through all of these efforts we can protect not only our water but our community as a whole.”

Through partnership and collaboration with local pharmacies, environmental stewards, police departments and government officials, Illinois American Water has helped to implement 37 permanent pharmaceutical disposal programs across the state. These programs are located in Alton, Bartonville, Belleville, Caseyville, Champaign (three sites), Chicago, Chillicothe, Collinsville, Columbia, Dixon, East Alton, Edwardsville, Fairmont, Freeburg, Glen Carbon, Madison, Maryville, Morrison, Mt. Carroll, Mt. Vernon, O’Fallon, Orland Hills, Pekin, Peoria (three sites), Peoria Heights, Pontiac, Red Bud, South Beloit, Sterling, Streator, Urbana (two sites) and Waterloo.

To find a permanent collection program in Illinois, visit http://www.epa.illinois.gov/services-locator/

Collection sites participating in this event can be located by visiting http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html