Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Peters police participating in Drug Take-Back Day

It’s not a national holiday, but it’s a day that is appreciated by many in the South Hills.
Peters Township, Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon police departments will be participating in the 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Sept. 12, when people can take unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs to a central location for proper disposal.
Mt. Lebanon police will be accepting drugs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. that day at the Medical Rescue Team South Authority, 315 Cypress Way, said Mt. Lebanon police Corporal Jamie Hughes. Peters police, meanwhile, will be taking drug drop-offs from 10 a.m.-noon at Venetia Community Center, 800 Venetia Road.; Heisler’s Market, East McMurray and Valley Brook roads; Giant Eagle, Donaldson’s Crossroads; and the Giant Eagle Market District Express further north on Route 19. Neither Mt. Lebanon nor Peters police will be accepting needles or EpiPens.
“People can just drive up and drop them off,” said Hughes, whose department will be assisted that day by pharmacy students from the University of Pittsburgh. “They don’t even have to get out of the car.”
Upper St. Clair police will be accepting drugs at the police station on McLaughlin Run Road from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
From 2010 through 2014, the program, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency, has collected nearly 5 million pounds of drugs. Both Mt. Lebanon and Peters each collected in excess of 400 pounds of drugs last year.
Police departments in Bethel Park and South Fayette are not participating in the program this year. Bethel Park residents can drop their medicine at their municipality’s police department, 5100 West Library Ave., and South Fayette residents can take their drugs to their police department, 515 Millers Run Road, for proper disposal. Both Mt. Lebanon and Peters Township also have drug disposal boxes for residents.
All prescriptions collected are turned over to the DEA for proper disposal. Captain Michael Yanchak of the Peters Township police said residents should not flush drugs down the toilet because it eventually ends up in the water system. “The system is not designed to filter out diluted medication,” said Yanchak, whose department has participated in the program for 10 years.
From April 2014 to Aug. 4, 2015, Peters police collected 780 pounds of unwanted medication, said Peters Chief Harry Fruecht.
“It’s a win for everyone,” said Fruecht.