CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (October 14, 2025) – The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) will host “Operation Medicine Drop,” a free medication disposal event, on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at all Food Lion locations in Carteret County. The initiative provides a safe way for residents to discard unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, helping prevent accidental poisonings, drug misuse and environmental contamination.
Residents are encouraged to bring medications in their original containers with labels intact for proper identification. Law enforcement will secure all collected drugs for incineration. Syringes, needles, liquids and illegal substances will not be accepted.
Operation Medicine Drop is part of a statewide initiative in North Carolina, one of the largest state-run drug disposal programs in the nation. Participating statewide partners include the N.C. Department of Insurance, Safe Kids NC, the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, the DEA, the N.C. SBI, and the Riverkeepers of North Carolina. The event is being led locally by the CCSO in partnership with the Carteret County Health Department and local law enforcement.
CCSO reminds parents and caregivers to do the following:
- Keep medicines locked up and out of reach of children.
- Always read labels, follow directions, and give medicine to children based on their weights and ages. Only use the dispensers packaged with children’s medications.
- Avoid taking medicine or vitamins in front of kids.
- Medicine should not be referred to as “candy.”
- If you suspect poisoning and a child is choking, collapses, can’t breathe or is having a seizure, call 911. Otherwise, take the product to the phone and call the national Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
For more details, visit https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/operation-medicine-drop or contact Major Daniel King at 252-728-8400 or by email at daniel.king@carteretcountync.gov.
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