The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit is hosting the fifth installment of "Operation Medicine Cabinet" on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with 15 drop off sites throughout the county and one extended program - mobile collection location.
The event is being held in conjunction with the DEA's National Take Back Day.
Operation Medicine Cabinet is an opportunity for citizens to safely discard unused or expired prescription medications. It is a multi-agency effort aimed at addressing the problem of prescription drug abuse and keeping a clean environment.
Operation Medicine Cabinet events to date (two in 2009 and two in 2010) have collected more than 3,000 pounds of medications.
Nine law enforcement agencies will take part in the April 30 event, including the Sheriff's Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Largo Police Department, the Clearwater Police Department, the Gulf Port Police Department, the St. Pete Beach Police Department, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the Tarpon Springs Police Department and the Treasure Island Police Department.
There are 15 drop-off sites at various Sweetbay's and Walgreen's; and at the Dolphin Village Shopping Center, at Seminole Mall and at Westfield Countryside Mall. In addition, for the first time, there will be an extended program-mobile collection site at the On Top of The World community.
According to statistics, prescription drugs are the No. 1 abused drug in the United States, now surpassing all other illicit drugs.
Citizens may simply stop by during the designated times and drop off their medications for safe collection and disposal - no questions asked. Please be aware that no bio-hazards or needles will be accepted and that the program is intended for private citizens of Pinellas County and not for commercial use.
Drop off sites are not located inside the stores but in their parking lot areas. Residents should look for a law enforcement presence at each of the selected drop-off sites. Also, please be aware that the drop-off containers at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Central Station (Largo) and North District Station (Dunedin) will be temporarily closed during the county wide event.
For more information, please call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Public Information Office at 727-582-6221.
Residents can use any of the following locations on April 30.
Sweetbay: 7491 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Police Department
Sweetbay: 6095 Ninth Само же N., St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Police Department
Walgreens: 5701 22nd Само же S., Gulfport, Gulfport Police Department
Sweetbay: 955 62nd Само же S., St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Police Department
Sweetbay: 6851 Gulfport Blvd., South Pasadena, Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
Walgreens: 10551 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, Treasure Island Police Department
Dolphin Village Shopping Center: 4655 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, St. Pete Beach Police Department
Sweetbay: 2460 East Bay Drive, Largo, Largo Police Department
Walgreens: 7400 66th St. N., Pinellas Park, Pinellas Park Police Department
Seminole Mall: 7949 113th St. N., Seminole (Kmart side), Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
Walgreens: 605 South Pinellas Само же, Tarpon Springs, Tarpon Springs Police Department
Walgreens: 33670 U.S. 19 N., Palm Harbor, Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
Sweetbay: 1681 Main St., Dunedin, Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
Walgreens: 1701 McMullen Booth Road, Safety Harbor, Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
Westfield Countryside Mall: 27001 U.S. 19 N., Clearwater (Sears side), Clearwater Police Department
On Top of the World: 2069 World Parkway Blvd. E., Clearwater, East Recreation Center, 10 a.m. to noon, Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office
On Top of the World: 2291 World Parkway Blvd. W., Clearwater, West Recreation Center, noon to 2 p.m., Pinellas County Sheriff??s Office Article published on Friday, April 29, 2011 Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved.
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