Operation Medicine Cabinet and Household Hazardous Waste Day October 3

Story by Corinne Saunders

Watauga County’s first prescription drug take-back day, named Operation Medicine Cabinet by Capt. Kelly Redmon of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department, will take place on Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 a.m. to noon and seeks to safely dispose of drugs to keep them out of children’s hands and out of local waterways.

October 3 is an amnesty day, which means no questions will be asked. Outdated or unused prescription drugs, over the counter medications, syringes or other medical supplies can simply be dropped off at the take-back centers, which are Seven Devils Town Hall and the county’s three Food Lion stores—the Highway 321 store in Boone, the Highway 421 store in Deep Gap and the Blowing Rock store.


“Saving Our Kids and Rivers from Drugs”
Among teenagers, one of the highest increases in illegal drug use over the past several years has been in prescription drug use. The most common method of obtaining prescription drugs is by raiding the medicine cabinet of a friend or family member, then taking the pills or selling them.

“From a law enforcement perspective, one of our most important jobs is to work diligently and proactively to prevent drug abuse,” said Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman. “By hosting an amnesty day that allows the public to turn in any kind of unused or unwanted medications, hopefully we will keep those drugs off the street and out of the hands of children,” he continued.

Another problem with outdated or unused prescription drugs is that many people dispose of them improperly by flushing them down the toilet. If the home is connected to a local wastewater treatment facility, the drugs end up in either the Watauga River or New River. 

A recent investigation by the Associated Press found an alarming number of pharmaceuticals—including antibiotics, pain medication, anti-depressants, sex hormones and heart and blood pressure medicine—in the drinking water supplies of more than 40 million Americans.

Environmental tests conducted by ASU biology and chemistry students and faculty found that pharmaceutical estrogens, such as birth control and estrogen supplements from the Jimmy Smith Wastewater Treatment Plant in Boone have feminized 60 to 66 percent of male hognose and white sucker fish located just below the plant. Tests with rainbow trout have not yet been conducted.

MountainKeepers hosted a community summit on resilience in January that included discussion of issues of concern to High Country residents. Many people in attendance recognized the importance of the water quality of the Watauga and New rivers to the region’s environmental health and began discussing a possible event in which they could raise awareness while providing a free and easy way for area residents to properly dispose of their unused or outdated medications.

Community members learned from law enforcement officials that prescription drug abuse is one of the fastest growing drug problems in the country and so for the event, they partnered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Watauga County Sheriff’s Department and the Boone, Blowing Rock and Seven Devils police departments.

“It has been an amazing testament to the collaborative spirit of our community to see how enthusiastically people have united to help host Operation Medicine Cabinet,” said Wendy Patoprsty, Watauga County Cooperative Extension agent.

MountainKeepers, Watauga River Conservation Partners, the towns of Boone, Blowing Rock and Seven Devils, Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, SBI, Boone Police, Blowing Rock Police, Seven Devils Police, DEA, Boone Drug, Watauga County Recycling/Solid Waste Department, Watauga Riverkeeper/Appalachian Voices, Food Lion, the National Committee for the New River, M-Prints, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, Precision Printing, the Smoky Mountain Center and ASU are some of the local entities that have partnered for the event.

For more information about Operation Medicine Cabinet, call 828-262-1500.


Household Hazardous Waste Day
Operation Medicine Cabinet will be held in conjunction with the county’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Day, which takes place on Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Watauga County Landfill, located at 336 Landfill Road in Boone.

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Day gets people thinking about cleaning their old chemicals, paints and more from basements and garages, so Operation Medicine Cabinet was scheduled for the same day to offer people the opportunity to get rid of everything in the same day, said Watauga County Recycling Coordinator Lisa Doty.

“It’s a good time to clean out everything and get rid of it in an environmentally safe way,” Doty said. “We really want people to take advantage of this day to clean out hazardous materials.”

Examples of household hazardous waste—items that are potentially dangerous to families’ health or to the environment—include paint, household cleaners, motor oil, pesticides, household batteries, NiCad batteries, lead acid car batteries, antifreeze, gasoline, lighter fluid, oxidizers and fluorescent lights.

To know whether a product is hazardous, read the label; if you see words like “danger,” “warning,” “caution” or “poison,” then these materials are hazardous and cannot go into the trash or washed down storm drains or household drains.

The Household Hazardous Waste Day is for residents’ waste only; no commercial waste will be accepted.

Residents’ household waste will be accepted through 2:00 p.m., Doty said, adding that to avoid longer wait periods, lunchtime would be a good time to bring materials in because most people come in the morning when collection begins.

The Household Hazardous Waste Day is sponsored by the Watauga County Sanitation Department, the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Service and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, with support from the Watauga County Maintenance Department and the Town of Boone.

For more information, call 828-265-4852 or 828-264-5305.

Steps for Safe Collection of Hazardous Materials

In order to ensure a safe collection of hazardous materials, follow the steps listed below.

1. For your safety and as stipulated by the disposal contractor’s permit, people must remain in their vehicle during the entire collection. Staff will take care of the collection.

2. Bring your waste in its original container whenever possible and make sure all containers are closed because it is dangerous to transport open containers. For paint, if there is only a small amount left in the can, open the container and let it dry, or add kitty litter or oil dry. Once dry, paint can be disposed of in the garbage.

3. Do not mix different products.

4. Collect your waste containers in disposable boxes or bins, which should be transported in your trunk. Do not put household hazardous waste in the backseat with your children or pets.

5. Don’t smoke in your car because most household hazardous wastes are flammable.

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