Participate in Drug Take-Back Day this year, Saturday, Oct. 24 and safely dispose of unused and expired medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked. There are no residency requirements to participate.
To keep social distancing, participants can drive through and drop bottles of unwanted medication in strategically placed receptacles, limiting interaction with staff working the event.
Greeley and Evans have three drop-off locations with different sponsoring agencies:
- Greeley Police Headquarters, 2875 10th St., Greeley
City of Greeley Police Department
- University Center, 2101 10th Ave., Greeley
University of Northern Colorado
- Sam’s Club parking lot, 3247 23rd Ave., Evans
City of Evans Police Department
Drop off any unwanted prescriptions or over the counter medications. These locations will not accept needles or sharps, mercury, oxygen containers, chemotherapy/radioactive substances, pressurized canisters, or illegal drugs.
At the October 2019 event, the Greeley Police Department site collected 478 pounds of prescription and over the counter drugs.
Studies show that most abused prescription drugs come from family, friends and the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018, an average of 41 people died each day from overdoses involving prescription opioids, totaling nearly 15,000 deaths.
Disposing of medications by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can pose environmental and health hazards. When drugs are flushed down the toilet, they are introduced into the water system.
Drug Take-Back Day offers opportunities to remove more than just unwanted drugs. The Sam’s Club location in Evans will feature household paper shredding, courtesy of Express Shredding Solutions.
Check the City of Greeley website at greeleygov.com for more details or contact Greeley Police Neighborhood Action Team officer, Arpad Bality, at 970-351-5361.