The Kinston Department of Public Safety set up shop at Vernon Park Mall with one goal in mind on Saturday: collecting drugs.
For National Drug Take-Back Day, the agency set up a drop box for local residents to dispose of their unwanted or expired prescription drug doses.
The KDPS hosted a drop-off last month and collected more than 47,000 doses but will not hold another until the fall.
For four hours on Saturday, the police force partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Project Safe Child, an initiative out of the Department of Justice, in hopes the drug sweep will make the environment safer.
Jackie Leonard, KDPS community coordinator, said removing prescription drugs from homes will eliminate the danger or temptation of drug abuse. Additionally, the drop-off can serve as a deterrent for people looking to loot medicine from homes and keep medicine out of the city’s water systems.
Police do not ask questions to those dropping off drugs.
“We don’t want people to feel like we’re going to come back to them and investigate,” Leonard said. “That’s not what this is about. We’re not trying to prosecute people for drugs; we’re trying to keep the public safe. We just want the drugs, no questions asked.”
As she and an officer waited for the public to bring in their prescriptions, Leonard distributed safety information to those passing by the mall entrance.
A Deep Run man who wished not to be identified said he had a prescription his doctor replaced with another, but he still kept the drugs in his home.
“I’m responsible about what I do with something like that,” he said. “I’m surely going to make sure no one gets it.”
Leonard said the dangers of prescriptions are they become available to anyone who comes into the house.
“Prescription drug abuse is becoming a No. 1 problem,” she said. “We have three people across the state of North Carolina that are dying everyday because of prescription drug abuse. It’s a killer habit.”
She said painkillers such as oxycontin and hydrocodone are the most common drug abuse prescriptions.
The KDPS has a permanent drop box in the lobby of its office on King Street.
“That’s a good thing they’re doing,” said the Deep Run man. “I’m all for it.”
Jessika Morgan was here at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.