GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) -Local law enforcement officers are teaming up with healthcare providers to collect and dispose of potentially dangerous medications.

The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and Vidant Health’s Safe Kids program hosted a medicine drop off event Thursday.

The event was part of Operation Medicine Drop which is a statewide effort to keep dangerous and sometimes addictive drugs out of the hands of kids and to prevent them from entering the environment through improper disposal.

Deputies collected dozens of unwanted or unused prescription and over-the-counter products which will later be incinerated.

Ellen Walston with Vidant Health says isolation during the pandemic has led to an increase in substance abuse in our area and it’s more important than ever to store and dispose of medicines safely.

Walston says, “I do encourage parents and families to make sure that they keep those medications locked and out of the reach of children or any other adults that they are not prescribed for.”

Walston says you should not flush medicines down the toilet or drains because they can wind up entering our waterways that way.

Copyright 2022 WITN. All rights reserved.