The Kingsport Police Department’s Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit is pleased to announce a new prescription drug collection point in the lobby of the Justice Center located at 200 Shelby Street in Kingsport. Our medication take-back initiative has been named, “Project: Drug Drop Zone.” The goals of this program are to keep drugs off the street, prevent overdoses and accidental poisonings, and avoid environmental contamination. Items that can be placed in our secure drug drop box include non-narcotics, narcotics, over the counter (OTC), herbals, and veterinary medications. Items that should not be placed in the box include needles or sharps, biohazard materials, and illegal drugs. The Kingsport Police Department’s first attempt at collecting leftover, unwanted, or expired medication was held on September 25, 2010. At that extremely successful event, held offsite at Rhoten Allstate Agency, 179 pounds of medication were collected and destroyed. With this new drug collection point in the lobby of the Justice Center, citizens can drop off their unwanted medication 24 hours a day at their convenience, rather than having to wait for a special event. All medications will be properly disposed of by the Kingsport Police Department. A photograph of the drug collection box as well as an informational flyer are attached to this press release. For additional information or questions concerning Project: Drug Drop Zone, please contact the Kingsport Police Department’s Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit at (423) 229-9433 or ThomasMPatton@KingsportTN.gov.
Click here to see the Drog Drop Zone Poster information. (PDF file)
Click here to view an Informational PDF on the Drug Drop Zone.
**Below is a Chart of the progress since we have installed this Drug Drop Box.
| Date | Weight (lbs.) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2010 | 179 | Offsite Collection Event at Rhoten Allstate Agency |
| January 27, 2012 | N/A | Drug Box Installed in Lobby of Justice Center |
| January through December 2012 | 1,274 | Total 2012 Annual Collections |
| January 4, 2013 | 5 | Box emptied |
| January 17, 2013 | 6 | Box emptied |
| January 25, 2013 | 18 | Box emptied |
| February 1, 2013 | 28 | Box emptied |
| February 11, 2013 | 55 | Box emptied |
| February 22, 2013 | 28 | Box emptied |
| March 1, 2013 | 8 | Box emptied |
| March 8, 2013 | 28 | Box emptied |
| March 14, 2013 | 28 | Box emptied |
| March 21, 2013 | 14 | Box emptied |
| April 5, 2013 | 15 | Box emptied |
| April 12, 2013 | 5 | Box emptied |
| April 18, 2013 | 11 | Box emptied |
| April 25, 2013 | 40 | Box emptied |
| May 3, 2013 | 48 | Box emptied |
| May 10, 2013 | 32 | Box emptied |
| May 16, 2013 | 6 | Box emptied |
| May 23, 2013 | 21 | Box emptied |
| May 31, 2013 | 20 | Box emptied |
| June 7, 2013 | 43 | Box emptied |
| June 14, 2013 | 33 | Box emptied |
| June 20, 2013 | 330 | Expired Meds Dropped Off by Medical Office |
| June 20, 2013 | 11 | Box emptied |
| June 28, 2013 | 28 | Box emptied |
| Total | 2,314 | Total (lbs.) Drugs Collected / Destroyed |
