The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has installed an “Unused, Expired and Unwanted Medication Drop Box” in the main lobby of the Vanderburgh County Jail located at 3500 N Harlan Ave.
Unused and expired medications should be discarded properly and not allowed to remain and accumulate in the home. These medications should not be thrown away with the normal garbage or flushed down the drain. Eliminating those two methods of disposal makes properly disposing of these medicines and drugs difficult.
Maintaining these medications is ill-advised for a variety of reasons:
- Reduce Drug Abuse and Misuse: Prescription drug abuse and misuse is one of the fastest-growing drug issues we face. Most of the abusers of these drugs, especially teens, get these drugs from friends or relatives, with or without their knowledge. The presence of these drugs in the home increases the temptation for abuse, misuse or them becoming the target of theft.
- Reduce Accidental Poisonings or Overdoses: Medicines left in the home are potential hazards, especially to our children, seniors and pets. Getting unused medicines out of the home reduces the potential for accidental poisonings and overdoses.
- Protect the Environment: Flushing medicines can potentially damage our water supplies and environment. Placing them in the garbage and having them go to the landfill can have an adverse impact on the environment; plus they may be found or picked up by someone and become a hazard that way.
Members of the public may drop off unused or unwanted medications in this drop box at any time. We do not accept liquids or sharps.
Surrendering these unused, unwanted or expired medications this way or to other similar drug take back programs is the best and only recommended way to get rid of them safely. The Sheriff’s Office will make sure the surrendered unused, unwanted or expired medications or drugs are safely and properly disposed.
Updated 10.23.23