Atlanta, Georgia – Unused and expired medications often sit quietly in kitchen drawers and bathroom cabinets, easy to forget and even easier to misuse.
That is why Fulton County’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is marking National Prescription Drug Take Back Day with two community events designed to help residents clear out those medications safely and responsibly before they become a bigger problem.
The effort, organized with community partners, is tied to the national observance on Saturday, April 25. County officials say the goal is simple but important: give people a secure way to dispose of old prescription drugs while also raising awareness about the risks that come with leaving them at home.
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A large share of misused prescription medication, the county notes, is obtained from home medicine cabinets, making proper disposal a practical step in reducing harm.
The first event is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 3D Girls Incorporated, located at 2117 Bolton Road NW in Atlanta. Hosted by Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and 3D Girls Incorporated, the event is being presented as “Prescription Drug Take Back Day – Safe & Secure: Preventing Harm, Protecting Our Children.”
The title reflects the broader message behind the initiative: removing unused medication from the home can help protect families, especially children, from accidental exposure or misuse.
A second event will follow on Thursday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Burdett Park, 2945 Burdett Rd, South Fulton. This collection opportunity is being hosted by Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities in partnership with the City of South Fulton, extending the county’s push to make safe disposal accessible in more than one community setting.
Beyond the immediate concern of misuse, organizers are also pointing to another issue that often receives less attention. Proper medication disposal helps prevent environmental contamination that can happen when drugs are flushed or otherwise discarded improperly. In that sense, the events serve two purposes at once: protecting public health and reducing unnecessary harm to the environment.
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The collection events are more than a calendar observance. They are part of a wider response to addiction, prevention, and community wellness. By giving residents a safe place to bring expired or unwanted medications, Fulton County and its partners are turning a simple act of cleanup into a public safety effort with lasting value.
