Residents in Hartselle and Morgan County will have an opportunity to get rid of outdated or unneeded medication, prescription or over-the-counter – during fourth annual Prescription Take-Back Day on April 27, no questions asked.

Three drop-off points will be set up around Morgan County and will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are:

• Decatur: Bender’s Elite Fitness, 1111 Knight Street, SE (Corner of Veteran’s Parkway and Knight Street, SE).

• Hartselle: Pizza Hut, 200 Hwy. 31 SW.

• Lacey’s Spring: Lacey’s Spring Volunteer Fire Department located on Alabama 36 East.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

In the four previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with state, local and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications. Approximately 250 pounds of medications have been collected in Morgan County.

The Hartselle Police Department is working with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, Decatur Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during the event to help prevent drug abuse and theft by disposing of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication.

Sponsors of the county event include the Hartselle Police Department, Hartselle Utilities, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, Morgan County Substance Abuse Network, Decatur Police Department, Decatur/Morgan Landfill, Decatur Utilities, Nucor Steel Decatur and Tennessee Riverkeeper.

The number of people abusing prescription drugs is alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information, call Hartselle Police Department at 256-773-6534, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department at 256-351-4816 or 256-351-4817 or Decatur Police Department at 256-341-4635.