HoCo Police Collect More Than 800 Pounds of Meds

Citizens in Howard County dropped off their expired or unwanted medications over the weekend, turning in more than 800 pounds of goods, according to the Howard County Police Department.

The department collected items at nine drop-off sites on Sept. 27, which was the National Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Howard County’s drop-off sites were at the precincts, Gary Arthur Community Center and the HC DrugFree office.

A total of 821 pounds of medications were turned in, and police did not inventory what the collection containers contained; instead, these were sealed for submission to the DEA for disposal, the department reported.

Collection days are held twice a year, in the spring and fall.

The program has been going on since 2010, with the goal of creating safe methods for disposal; and reducing drug abuse, theft, misuse and poisoning.

Learn more about safe medication disposal from the DEA.