BUNNELL, FL – Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly encourages anyone who has medications they don’t need or want any more to safely dispose of them this weekend as part of the Annual National Drug Take-Back Day organized by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Flagler County residents can discard those medications anonymously on Saturday (April 22, 2023) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the following four locations in Palm Coast, which will be staffed by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputies.
- FCSO’s Palm Coast District Office (14 Palm Harbor Village Way, Palm Coast, FL 32137)
- Publix at Island Walk (250 Palm Coast Parkway NE #1000, Palm Coast, FL 32137)
- Publix at Belle Terre Crossings (4950 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, FL 32137)
- Publix at Palm Coast Town Center (800 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, FL 32164)
These four locations are among the over 4,000 locations nationwide accepting unwanted or unused medications at no cost for disposal.
The goal of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is to keep a tight lid on the abuse of prescription drugs. Studies show that a majority of the people who abuse prescription drugs often find them in the homes of family or friends, according to Sheriff Staly.
“Here’s an easy and safe way to remove medications you don’t use or need from your home instead of tossing them in a trash can or flushing them down the toilet,” Sheriff Staly added. “Help us control the rising tide of prescription drug abuse and keep these kinds of drugs away from anyone who could abuse it. I want to thank Publix for partnering with us again in this year’s effort.”
Residents can stop by any of the sites, empty the medication into the collection box and leave with no questions asked and no personal information required. We do ask that you remove the drugs from any containers you bring them in before putting them into the collection box.
Any expired or unwanted prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbal remedies and veterinary medications will be accepted. Hypodermic needles and syringes will not be accepted.
Once the event is over, all medications are turned over to the DEA for proper disposal. These drugs will not be tossed into local landfills or dumped into the local water supply.
If you cannot go to one of the National Drug Take-Back Day locations, you can still dispose unwanted medications properly at a year-round drop-off location near you. The Flagler Beach Police Department (FBPD) has a year-round prescription disposal box inside the front lobby of their headquarters at 204 South Flagler Avenue. It’s accessible during normal operation hours, which are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. No needles or fluids of any kind are accepted by FBPD.
