The Greenville Police Department and federal Drug Enforcement Administration will hold an Operation Medicine Drop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Town Common.

The event aims to prevent prescription drug abuse by collecting unwanted, unused or expired medicines for law enforcement to properly destroy.

The effort also protects waterways by discouraging residents from flushing medicines down toilets or sinks, which could affect wildlife in local waters. Throwing medicines away in the trash also poses safety and health hazards.

The disposal service is free, anonymous and open to the public.

The Pitt County Coalition on Substance Abuse also will hold its third annual Walk for Recovery 1-mile walk and run from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

The organization also will be collecting unwanted medicines.

In April alone, medicine drops nationwide collected 276 tons of prescription drugs from more than 5,600 sites. In the four previous events, more than 775 tons of pills were collected.

Greenville police report rates of prescription drug abuse are high, as well as the accidental poisonings and overdoses. The majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, police said.

For more information about Operation Medicine Drop, contact Matt Lambeth at 752-0483. For information regarding the walk, contact the Pitt County Coalition on Substance Abuse at 321-1481 or pcconsa@gmail.com.

Original post:

Medicine drop, Recovery walk set for Saturday