By Sarah Rae

Dispose of your unused or expired prescription drugs this weekend

May 18, 2016 | 6:00 AM

If you have any unused or expired prescription drugs, get them out of your cupboards by dropping them off at the Battlefords RCMP detachment this Saturday.

It’s National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day on May 21, an annual event where police agencies across Canada provide an easy way for people to dispose of unused or expired prescription medication.

Cpl. Derek Wierzbicki of the Battlefords RCMP said since you shouldn’t flush drugs or throw them in the garbage, many people don’t know how to dispose of them. Leaving them in the cupboard when they’re unused or expired can put drugs in the hands of children or others who could get sick from them or abuse them.

“You know a lot of times heavy narcotics are prescribed and once a person’s done with them they don’t know what to do with them and don’t want them to get into the hands of other people,” he said. “People can come to the detachment drop their prescriptions off and we’ll make sure they’re disposed of.”

Health Canada says drugs shouldn’t be flushed because they can enter natural waterways, which can adversely affect the environment, including animals and people.

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Drop-Off Day is just one event that’s part of National Police Week, May 15 to May 21, a week Wierzbicki said is meant to highlight the role of police in keeping Canadians safe and secure in their homes.

“This is a chance for us to kind of show people what we can do for them, whether that’s playing road hockey with kids in the street, to partnering up with our hospital to see if there’s a way we can help people better, or just show what kind of role the police play in our community,” he said.

The RCMP are having a barbecue Friday from 11:30 a.m. To 1:30 p.m. and are donating proceeds to police members who were displaced by the fire in Fort McMurray. Wierzbicki said it’s also an opportunity for members of the community to come and show their support for the local police.

Sarah.rae@jpbg.ca

@sarahjeanrae