KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department is taking part in a national effort to prevent substance abuse and take back unused or unwanted medications. On Saturday, they will host a free prescription drug take-back event.
The event will be part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and will be at the Kroger located at 4414 Asheville Highway. Police will be there from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. to safely dispose of medications that people want to get rid of.
By safely getting rid of them, police said that they will not later be misused. According to a 2019 national survey, around 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers and around 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants.
The survey also shows that most misused prescription drugs were taken from family and friends, often from home medicine cabinets. By hosting a prescription drug take-back event, officials hope to reduce the chance that drugs will be misused.