Drug Take Back Day set for Oct. 24

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Windsor County Sheriff’s Office, local and state law enforcement agencies, and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Sponsored by public health  coalitions, the Take-Back Day event is free and anonymous, no questions asked, with drop-off  sites located throughout Windsor County. Powders and patches are accepted in addition to pills and capsules. Vaping devices and cartridges can also be turned in if the batteries have been removed.

Due to the COVID-19 health emergency, Spring 2020 Prescription Drug Take Back Day, originally scheduled in April, had been cancelled. However, medication return boxes remained available for drop-off throughout Windsor County.

Sheriff Mike Chamberlain of Windsor County says that with Covid-19 precautions in place, he is pleased to see the Oct. 24 takeback day proceed. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in this country are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs,” he said.

Where to go:

The following locations in Windsor County will serve as drop-off sites on Take-Back Day, from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24th:

• Chester Police Department; 556 Elm St.
• Windsor Police Department; 29 Union St. in Windsor.
• Weathersfield Transfer Station (operated by the Weathersfield Police Department); 5024 Vt. Rt. 106 in Perkinsville.
• Springfield Police Department; 201 Clinton St.
• Ludlow Police Department; 19 West Hill Road.
• Hartford Police Department; 812 VA Cutoff Road, White River Junction.
• Woodstock Police Department; 454 Woodstock Road.
• Royalton State Police Barracks; 2011 Vt. Rt. 107, S. Royalton.
• Royalton PoliceDepartment; 2460 Vt. Rt. 14, S. Royalton.
• Norwich Police Department; 10 Hazen St.

In October 2019, Vermonters set a record turning in more than 3.5 tons of unused, unwanted
and expired medication at over 60 collection sites throughout the state.

According to the Vermont Dept. of Health, the state has seen an increase of fatal opioid
overdoses in 2020 with 82 opioid fatalities as of July 2020 compared to 60 fatalities as of July
2019.

For more information about Take-Back Day, click here or call the Windsor County Sheriff’s
Department at (802) 457-5211.