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Dispose of prescription drugs safely

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Sept. 24, 2010 - Local law enforcement agencies are teaming up with the federal government on Saturday to help residents dispose of their unneeded or expired prescription drugs.

St. Louis County, city and municipal police departments are hosting drug dropoff locations on Sept. 25 at community centers and other public places to help residents dispose of their prescription drugs the right way. It's part of a national day of action by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to raise public awareness of prescription drug abuse.

St. Louis County police officer Rick Eckhard says people often flush their drugs down the toilet, causing them to contaminate the water supply. Other times, he says, the drugs can expire or end up in the hands of drug abusers.

"We're trying to make it more known to the public how to dispose of these drugs," Eckhard says.

After people drop off their drugs at sites around the St. Louis area, the DEA will pick them up and destroy them, he says.

Arnold

Arnold City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd. (Council Chambers)

Ballwin

Police Department, 300 Park Dr.

Belleville

Living Well Expo at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds (Sept. 24 only 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) St. Clair County sheriff's department, Rts 13 & 159

Clarkson Valley

County Police Department substation, 15933 Clayton Rd.

Clayton

Community Center, 50 Gay Ave.

Ellisville

Police Department, 37 Weis Ave.

Elsberry

Elsberry Rexall Pharmacy, 106 Broadway

Eureka

Police Department 120 City Hall Dr.

Fairview Heights

Police Department, 10027 Bunkum

Florissant

James J. Egan Civic Center, #1 James J. Egan Dr.
Police Department, 1700 N. Highway 67
JFK Community Center, 315 Howdershell

Hazelwood

Police Department, St. Louis Mills Mall substation, 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd.
Police Department, 415 Elm Grove Ln. (Rear entrance)

High Ridge

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, #34 Dillon Plaza

Imperial

Windsor Intermediate Center, 6208 Hwy 61-67

Maplewood

Police Department, 7601 Manchester

Maryland Heights

Community Center, 2344 McKelvey Rd. (Main entrance)

New Baden

Police Department, 100 E. Hanover

O'Fallon, Mo.

Sheriff's Department, 101 Sheriff Dierker Ct.
Police Department, 100 N. Main St.

Olivette

Police Department, 9473 Olive Blvd.

Overland

Autumn in the Park police booth, Norman A. Meyers Park, noon-7 p.m., 8700 Midland

Pacific

Police Department, 300 Hoven Dr.

Pevely

Police Department, 401 Main St. (police side of city hall complex)

Saint Clair

Police Department, 1 Paul Parks Dr.

St. John

City Hall (drop box in 1st floor lobby), 8944 St. Charles Rock Rd.

St. Louis

Walgreens, 4218 Lindell
Walgreens, 3720 N. Kingshighway
Walgreens, 1530 Lafayette
Walgreens, 3822 S. Kingshighway

St. Louis County

North County Recreation Complex, 2577 Redman Rd.
Affton Southwest Neighborhood Police Station, 13226 Tesson Ferry Rd.

St. Peters

Police Department, 1020 Grand Teton Dr.

Sullivan

Police Department, 105 Progress Parkway

Sunset Hills

Police Department, 3905 S. Lindbergh

Swansea

Schnucks, 2665 N. Illinois St.

Trenton

Police Department, 25 W. Indiana St. (lobby area)

Troy, Mo.

The Medicine Shoppe, 10 Centerline Dr.

Union

Skaterz Rink, 181 Audrey Ln. (child Safety Awareness Event)
Police Department, 119 S. Church St.

Washington

Police Department, 301 Jefferson St.

Puneet Kollipara, a student at Washington University, was an intern at the Beacon.