To curb pill abuse, Smyrna police installed medication drop-off box

This is the new permanent MedReturn drug collection box now located in the lobby of the Smyna police headquarters.

Credit: Smyrna Police Department

Credit: Smyrna Police Department

This is the new permanent MedReturn drug collection box now located in the lobby of the Smyna police headquarters.

If you never know what to do with your leftover medications or are always are busy during those pill takeback events, head to 2646 Atlanta Road SE.

That’s the address for the Smyrna police headquarters, where there is now a permanent drop-off box for expired prescriptions and over-the-counter meds.

The agency announced Thursday that its new MedReturn box is in the lobby of the building “to reduce the supply of drugs that can potentially harm teens and adults.”

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In its announcement, the department cited a finding from a 2011 national study: That year, there were 6.1 million people ages 12 or older who used "prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically" in the past month. That was down from 7 million in 2010.

Police said the majority of children abusing pain meds get them from friends or family.

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“Smyrna citizens won’t have to wait for a specific take-back day to clean out their medicine cabinets,” the cops said.

The drugs can be dropped off (whenever the lobby is open) with no questions asked. But note that they won’t take liquids, illegal drugs, ointments, lotions, inhalers or aerosol cans.

However, needles can be dropped off at any Smyrna fire station.

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