On Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in cooperation with The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The fall 2022 event will be hosted by Walmart. Bring your old medicine pills for safe disposal to Walmart, 4085 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Needles or any liquids are not accepted.
Deputies will accept your unwanted or expired medications for safe and easy disposal to prevent drug misuse or injury.
Sumter CAP (Community Action Partnership) Prevention Coalition will provide drug deactivation packets for residents to take home for future safe disposal of medications.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to the Sumter County “Operation Medicine Cabinet” Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the permanent drop box locations available all year long in each of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Offices located in Bushnell, Wildwood and The Villages.
Sumter CAP also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available at www.sumtercap.org.