Dispose of medicines at York County police departments

York County law enforcement agencies and one of the county’s substance abuse awareness organizations are asking local parents to rid their homes of unused medicines in an effort to keep the drugs out of the hands of children.

The effort is called “Operation Medicine Drop” and local officials say it could make a big difference in cutting down on poisonings caused by children taking medicines not meant for them.

York County groups have organized the “medicine drop” in years past. Last year, All On Board – a local nonprofit group – reached the milestone of collecting 2 million doses of unwanted and potentially dangerous prescriptions.

This year, All On Board officials say they’d like to collect at least 300,000 doses.

Safe Kids Worldwide, an international group advocating for child safety on several fronts, estimates that poison control centers receive more than 1,000 calls daily about children taking medicine not intended for them or taking too much of a prescription for a health issue.

The Safe Kids group says children can access harmful medicine in home medicine cabinets, from parents’ purses or handbags, and other areas inside a house.

To help prevent injuries to children, local police agencies will accept unwanted or unused medications during the month of April at the following locations:

▪ Fort Mill Police Department, 111 Academy St.

▪ Rock Hill Police Department, located at 120 E. Black St.

▪ Winthrop University Police Department, 526 Myrtle Drive in Rock Hill

▪ York County Sheriff’s Office, located at the Moss Justice Center on York Highway in York

▪ York Police Department, 12 N. Roosevelt St.

▪ Clover Police Department, 112 Bethel St.

▪ Tega Cay Police Department, 7705 Tega Cay Drive

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Dispose of medicines at York County police departments."