Purge Your Pills Rx Drop Off on April 30th

Here’s your opportunity to start spring cleaning right in your own medicine cabinet! On Saturday, April 30, 2011, the Drug Enforcement Administration and its national and community partners will host the second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

StandUP Polk, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, and local law enforcement agencies in Hardee and Polk counties are proud to join in the DEA’s nationwide event and host our community’s Purge Your Pills Rx Drop Off on April 30th at the 11 locations in Hardee and Polk Counties listed below. Citizens may turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications for safe and proper disposal. Medications should be kept in a clear, air-tight plastic bag.



Drop-off locations on Saturday, April 30th, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM are:

Auburndale Police Department – 2 Bobby Green Plaza, Auburndale, FL
City of Zolfo Springs Sheriff Substation – US 17 (Town Hall Bldg), Zolfo Springs, FL
Florida Dept. of Transportation – 801 N.Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL – Hosted by Bartow Police Dept.
Davenport Police Department – 17 Market Street, Davenport, FL
Haines City Police Department – 35400 Highway 27, Haines City, FL
Hardee County Sheriff’s Office – 900 East Summit Street, Wauchula, FL
Lake Alfred Police Department – 190 North Seminole Avenue, Lake Alfred, FL
Lake Wales Police Department – 133 East Tillman Avenue, Lake Wales, FL
Lakeland Police Department – 219 N. Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL
Winter Haven Police Department – 125 North Lake Silver Drive NW, Winter Haven, FL
Wauchula Police Department - 128 South 7th Street, Wauchula, FL

For those who are unable to make it to the Pill Drop Off on April 30th, Home Instead Senior Care is also partnering with StandUP Polk to host a drive-up Rx Drop Off on Friday April 29, 2011, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at two additional locations in Lakeland:

Home Instead Senior Care – 601 South Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL
Hawthorne Inn of Lakeland – 6150 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland, FL

Two countywide prescription medication collections held by StandUP Polk and its coalition and law enforcement partners in spring and fall 2010 resulted in an estimated 650 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals. Medications were safely disposed of via incineration. The coalition partners plan to host future pill drop events and hope to establish a permanent pill drop off venue in the county soon to assist residents in proper disposal of unused prescription medications in an environmentally safe manner, and help decrease the availability of expired or unwanted medications to reduce prescription drugs abuse.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are growing at an alarming rate, especially among teens, who report finding painkillers, stimulants, depressants, and other medications to abuse right in their own family medicine cabinet. Preventing youth from gaining access to prescription and over-the-counter drugs is an important step to prevent and stop this epidemic.

For more information on the local Pill Drop event or locations, please contact StandUP Polk/InnerAct Alliance at (863) 802-0777.