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Unused medicine collection at Kinney's Potsdam Maple Street store Saturday

Posted 4/21/11

POTSDAM -- Kinney Drugs’ 48 Maple St., Potsdam store will hold a medicine collection day Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In recognition of Earth Day, the purpose of the event is to …

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Unused medicine collection at Kinney's Potsdam Maple Street store Saturday

Posted

POTSDAM -- Kinney Drugs’ 48 Maple St., Potsdam store will hold a medicine collection day Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In recognition of Earth Day, the purpose of the event is to encourage the people in the community to drop off unused or expired medications to be properly destroyed and to help prevent environmental pollution, accidental poisonings, and substance abuse.

All prescription drugs including narcotics will be accepted, along with over-the-counter medicines, ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, medication vials and pet medications. Not accepted are illegal drugs, biohazardous materials, needles, personal care products and household hazardous wastes like paint or pesticides.

Medicines must be in the original bottle or package with the name of the product on it. Personal names and addresses may be removed or blocked out. All medicine will be surrendered to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department for proper destruction.

The proper disposal of medications has increasingly become an issue of environmental and safety concern across the United States. Pharmaceuticals have been found in the drinking water of at least 51 million Americans, according to an April 2009 Associated Press investigation. Meanwhile a national study conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that one in five teenagers abuse prescription medications that are not prescribed to them.