The Marion County Sheriff’s Office will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day later this month.
The program will take place on Saturday, October 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at multiple locations in The Villages and Ocala:
- South Marion District Office, 8230 SE 165th Mulberry Lane, The Villages, FL 32162
- Southwest District Office, 9048 SW Highway 200, Ocala, FL 34481
- South Multi District Office, 3260 SE 80th Street, Ocala, FL 34480
The one-day event gives Marion County citizens an opportunity to dispose of their unused or unwanted prescription medications.
According to an MCSO press release, a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained, knowingly or unknowingly, from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative offers a safe, anonymous method to dispose of prescription drugs.
During the last National Drug Take Back Day in April 2021, approximately 839,543 pounds, or 420 tons, of prescription medication were collected by local law enforcement and the DEA nationwide. Approximately 29,260 pounds of prescription medication were collected in Florida alone.