Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD) is partnering with Keep Alachua County Beautiful, City of Gainesville, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff's Department and Partners in Prevention of Substance Abuse to provide a pharmaceutical take back program for prescription and over-the-counter medications during Operation Medicine Cabinet. Operation Medicine Cabinet begins at 5:30 p.m. on October 29, 2009, at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza (111 E. University Ave., Gainesville). The event is part of a national candle light vigil in memory of those lost to drug and alcohol related deaths and those suffering from the disease of addiction.

The Narcotic Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE) Taskforce organized the event to raise awareness of the lives lost to substance abuse, to eliminate the prejudice that follows the disease of addiction and to provide for the safe and proper disposal of unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. A wide range of speakers will discuss the various aspects of drug and alcohol addiction.

For more information on the event, contact NOPE at 561-478-1055 ext. 1 or click here.

If you can't make it to the event, ACEPD's Hazardous Waste Collection Program offers drop off locations on an on-going basis at six locations throughout Alachua County.  Contact 352-334-0440 for locations or click here for more information. The program has accepted over 900 pounds of pharmaceuticals for proper disposal since 2004 and was the first such program in the US to prevent medications from being improperly disposed and to address the numerous environmental and health concerns associated with improper disposal.