Sheriff’s Office partners again with Walgreens in Chalmette on Saturday, Sept. 27 for a Prescription Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the store parking lot; Don’t let drugs fall into wrong

With an average of 110 Americans dying each day from prescription drug overdoses, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann is urging residents not to let their unused prescription medications such as pain-killer pills fall into the wrong hands and ruin someone’s life.

Instead, turn them in to the Sheriff’s Office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 in the parking lot of Walgreens pharmacy in Chalmette at Judge Perez Drive and Paris Road, where a drug take-back day will be held.

Sponsored nationally by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, drug take-back days have helped keep prescription drugs off the street, the sheriff said, which is important because studies show young people often first abuse prescription drugs after stealing them from medicine chests at the homes of relatives or parents of friends.

For the third time since April 2013, the Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Walgreens to provide an easily accessible place for area residents to turn in expired or no longer needed prescription medications to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

The two previous drug take-back days at Walgreens have been very successful, with more than 100 pounds of medications turned in by the public, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“Don’t let young people get hooked on pills they find while visiting you,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, and “don’t throw medication in the garbage where it can be found or down the toilet where it can end up affecting wildlife or seafood in marshes.’’

The national average of 110 Americans dying daily from overdoses on prescription medication is an alarming number, Sheriff Pohlmann said, and St. Bernard Parish residents have been among the victims over the years.

Officers from the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, commanded by Maj. Chad Clark, will be at the Walgreens parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to collect medications.

The Sheriff’s Office has participated for several years in the national drug take-back day and locally it was the Sheriff’s Office that began its own take-back day in 2009 called “Operation Medicine Cabinet,’’ which encouraged residents to clean out their medicine cabinets of old prescription drugs and turn them in to the department.

St. Bernard residents are reminded they also can call the sheriff’s 271-DOPE hot line (271-3673) any time to turn in prescription drugs between official drug take-back days. An officer will call them back to make arrangements for collection.

Also, residents should call the same number to anonymously report any suspected illegal drug activity in St. Bernard Parish. All calls will be acted upon.