PARIS — The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in their old medications. In conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sheriff’s Office will accept unused, unwanted and outdated medications in Bethel, Paris and Porter on April 27.

The Sheriff’s Office will collect drugs at its offices on Parkway Road in Bethel and on Western Avenue in Paris, as well as at the Sacopee Valley Health Center on Main Street in Porter. The take-back is set for from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The medications will be destroyed in order to keep it out of the hands of children, addicts and people who could mistake the pills for other medications. Flushing medicine down the toilet can put harmful chemicals into the groundwater.

The nationwide program has been running twice yearly since 2010 and has resulted in more than 2 million pounds of medication collected nationwide.

Anonymity and confidentiality is a major component of the program. As in past years, no questions will be asked. Those wishing to further protect their privacy can black out their information on the prescription pill bottles or containers with a permanent marker.

The medication will be turned over to DEA to be incinerated, according to federal and state environmental guidelines. Needles will not be accepted. The take-back days are part of the DEA’s fight against prescription drug abuse nationwide.

Local police departments will also be collecting medication. For additional information, contact your local police department or the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office at 207-743-9554 or 1-800-733-1421.

treaves@sunjournal.com

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