National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day was a big success locally, with Fountain Hills bringing in 113.5 pounds of materials.

MCSO Lieutenant Rich Johnson provided an update on the event during the Nov. 9 meeting of the Fountain Hills Coalition, a local organization dedicated to substance abuse prevention in Fountain Hills.

While a permanent drop-off box exists in Town Hall for those who wish to dispose of unwanted or unneeded medications, events like the recent Take-Back Day help remind folks to clean out their cabinets in order to help keep families safe and drugs off the street.

As Lieutenant Johnson put it, more than 113 pounds is “a lot of pills,” and he commended the community for getting involved.

As a reminder, the permanent drop-off box is available for community use in Town Hall Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The purpose of the box is to collect and properly dispose of unneeded medications.

However, not all items should be dropped off. Johnson reminds that sharps of any kind should not be dropped into the box, nor liquids or lotions. Loose pills should also be put into a sealed bag, rather than poured in from a prescription bottle.