TDCI & Hamilton County Partners Hold Shred-It/Drug Take Back on Sept. 26
NASHVILLE – Hamilton County residents can safely dispose of outdated medications or shred their personal documents and records during a countywide effort that coincides with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday, Sept. 26.
Led by Tennessee American Water, Saturday’s event in Hamilton County is the result of a coalition of numerous local and state partners – including the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs – working together to help protect Tennessee consumers.
“Our partners are an invaluable resource for furthering our mission of protecting Tennessee consumers of all walks of life,” said State Fire Marshal and TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “We hope Hamilton County residents will take advantage of the opportunity Saturday to protect their personal information and their families’ health.”
From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., residents can drive up and drop off their old medications (prescription or over-the-counter) for proper, safe disposal at 11 locations across Hamilton County. Document shredders provided by TDCI’s Division of Consumer Affairs will be available at the locations in bold face. The locations are as follows:
Hixson Walgreens - 5478 TN Highway 153
East Brainerd Walgreens - 2289 Gunbarrel Rd
Mt. Cannan Baptist Church– 4801 HWY 58
East Chattanooga Improvement - 1502 McCallie Avenue
Red Bank Food City (Formerly Bi-Lo) - 3901 Dayton Boulevard
Signal Mtn. Police Dept. -796 Ridgeway Ave.
Brainerd Walgreens - 3605 Brainerd Rd
East Ridge Walgreens - 5301 Ringgold Rd
Northshore Walgreens - 110 North Market Street
Ooltewah Walgreens - 9307 County Hwy
Rossville Walgreens – 4810 Rossville Blvd.
Throwing out old drugs reduces the risk of your home being targeted for a drug-related theft and the risk that children or family members might accidentally fall ill from taking medicine kept past its expiration date. However, flushing medications means traces of these drugs eventually end up back in the environment. The local take-back event offers Tennesseans a chance to safely and conveniently dispose of unwanted, unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs while avoiding misuse or unintentionally harming families, pets and the environment.
Safely ridding your home of unwanted prescription medicine is something citizens can do regularly. Click HERE to locate the nearest Prescription Drug Take-Back Box location in Tennessee.
“The Drug Take Back Day brings together law enforcement, businesses and community organizations to offer a convenient and safe way for residents to dispose of medications,” said Deron Allen, president of Tennessee American Water. “We are pleased that the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Consumer Affairs Division has arranged for document shredders to be available also.”
As personal identity theft and cyberfraud seemingly grow more prevalent and more costly every day, Tennessee residents should take every opportunity to protect their personal information by quickly and safely disposing of personal documents such as tax information, medical records and other papers containing personal information.
###