The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office is taking a simple step in hopes of addressing a big problem.

As part of a statewide campaign by the Council on Alcohol and Drugs, the ECSO now has a drop box where people can dispose of their unused or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The “big white box” is in the lobby of the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office in Springfield. It is accessible to the public anytime.

“People can come 24 hours a day, seven days a week and drop off whatever they want,” said Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie. “It’s just an anonymous way to get rid of any medicine and have it disposed of properly.”

Prescription drug abuse among all age groups is being reported by law enforcement agencies across the state and country as a real and growing danger, according to the Council on Alcohol and Drugs. In addition, unsafe disposal of prescription and over-the-counter medications is costly to the environment and a threat to people’s health.

The Council on Alcohol and Drugs launched Campaign Drug Drop in response to the growing demand for a safe and convenient way to dispose of household prescription and OTC drugs. The council says it so far has donated a drug drop box in 128 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

“It could be the medicine of a family member who is deceased, and this is a safe way to dispose of it,” McDuffie said. “Or, if somebody decides they want to kick a drug problem, they can drop off the drugs anonymously, no questions asked.”

The goals of the campaign are to keep drugs off the street and out of the hands of children and teens, prevent overdoses and accidental poisonings, and avoid environmental contamination by not throwing drugs in the toilet, sink or trash.

Items that can be placed in the drug drop box include expired and unused prescription (non-narcotics and narcotics), over-the-counter drugs, medication samples, medicated ointment/lotion, drops, inhalers, unopened epi-pens, herbals and veterinary medications.

Items that should not be placed in the boxes include needles or sharps, biohazard materials and illegal drugs.

For more information about the ECSO’s drug drop box, contact Chief Drug Investigator Steve Edenfield at 754-3449 or sedenfield@effinghamcounty.org.

To learn more about preventing prescription drug misuse and abuse, visit www.stoprxabuseinga.org.