Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Offering Public Place for Disposal of Unwanted Medication, Year Round

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has announced the addition of a drug drop box in the lobby of their Administration Building (5400 E. Broad Street) in Lake Charles. This drop box is available to the public for safe disposal of unused, unwanted or expired medications.

The drop box is available 24 hours a day, Monday thru Sunday, and medications can be dropped off for disposal free of charge. The program is anonymous and no questions or requests for identification are required.  CPSO does suggest the removal of any personal information "from bottles or packages that contain pills/capsules and liquids before placing the bottles or packages into the drop box."

According to CPSO, this is what you CAN turn into the drug drop box:

· Controlled substance medications (scheduled drugs)

· Non-controlled (Rx) substance medications

· Over the counter (OTC) medications

· Medication samples

· Vitamins

· Syrups, ointments, creams and lotions

· Inhalers

Below is a list of what you CANNOT turn into the drug drop box, according to CPSO.

· Any sharps such as needles, syringes or lancets

· Any mercury or cadmium products such as thermometers & batteries

· Disposal medical waste items such as IV bags, used bandages, gowns or bio-hazardous items

· Aerosol cans

· Chemicals or disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide

· Personal care products (non-medicated shampoo, etc.)

The drug drop box is provided through a grant from the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators.

For more info visit the CPSO website.