Law enforcement agencies in Madison County recently collected over 2,300 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications as part of the Rx 4 Safety prescription drug initiative.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with Madison County Planning and Development and all the Police Chiefs of the county, have disposed of the medications at a federally regulated location, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since implementation of the program in April 2015, the Sheriff's Office alone has disposed of just over eight tons of medication, according to Sheriff John Lakin.

This is a collective effort, Lakin says, between the community and law enforcement to protect the environment from the improper disposal of medications and to keep presciption medications from being ingested accidentally, stolen or misused. Secured drop-off bins are located at the police departments in Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, East Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Granite City, Highland, Maryville, Roxana, Troy and Wood River, as well as the Madison County Sheriff's Office and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Locations are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Items that can be accepted are any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, liquids, narcotics, cough syrup, prescription medicines, hormones, painkillers, antibiotics, ointments, oils and any unidentified pills. Items that cannot be accepted are oxygen tanks, asthma inhalers, mercury thermometers, hearing aids, household waste and sharps or needles.

Anyone with questions about the program may contact Jaimie Linton, Administrator of Business Affairs for the Madison County Sheriff's Office at 618-296-4850.