RALEIGH -- The State Bureau of Investigation had more than seven tons of prescription pills incinerated May 3 following the statewide Operation Medicine Drop campaign.

The campaign encouraged people to dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired medications by dropping them off at a local law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agencies took the collected medicines to SBI field offices.

SBI agents from the eight field offices delivered a total of 15,442 pounds of collected pills to the SBI’s Diversion and Environmental Crime Unit in Raleigh. The number of pills equaled approximately 7.7 million dosage units.

Working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the pills were taken to an EPA-approved incinerator in Alamance County and destroyed.

“Destroying unused medications not only keeps drugs out of the reach of children, but helps remove an adult’s temptation to consume unused pills that could lead to addiction,” SBI Director Bob Schurmeier said. “The SBI will continue to partner with other agencies to help prevent tragedies that can occur with overdoses of medications.”

In addition to the DEA, the SBI partners with the N.C. Dept. of Insurance that spearheaded the event, and NC Safe Kids. Operation Medicine Drop is held several times during the year.

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