by Leah Justice

Area residents can safely get rid of unused and unwanted medication tomorrow, Saturday, March 23 at three locations.

Residents can drop off medicine at the Tryon Fire Department, CVS Pharmacy in Columbus or the Green Creek Fire Department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The sheriff’s office and Tryon Police Department are giving the public another opportunity to prevent accidental poisonings, abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Since 2010, more than 1,000 sites have collected more than 30 million dosage units of medication during take back events statewide.

Operation Medicine Drop is an effort coordinated by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Safe Kids North Carolina, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Riverkeepers of NC and local groups to prevent accidental poisonings, substance abuse and to protect waters.

For more information about Saturday’s event, contact Lt. Scott Lindsay at the Tryon Police Department at 828-859-9195 or Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill at 828-894-3001.