Marshall, Texas — As families clean out medicine cabinets this fall, local law‑enforcement officials are reminding residents that how they discard expired or unwanted prescription drugs can have a direct impact on community safety. Both the Marshall Police Department and the Kilgore Police Department are hosting Drug Take‑Back Day events, offering secure drop boxes where anyone can safely surrender unused medication.
Why proper disposal matters
Sergeant Jef Rigsby of the Marshall Police Department explained that leftover pills left in the home can end up in the wrong hands. “One of our biggest concerns is medications that are left around the house getting into the wrong hands—whether that be children, small children, or being misused by other people in the household,” he said. Rigsby warned that some of these drugs are being cut with fentanyl and then sold on the streets, a practice that can lead to deadly overdoses in schools and neighborhoods.
Patricia Davis, a Kilgore police officer, echoed the danger, noting that “it only takes the littlest amount to be a deadly dose.” She described how fentanyl, a potent opiate, is often combined with other drugs to create counterfeit pills that are then marketed on social media platforms.
How residents can participate
Both departments have installed permanent drop boxes inside their police station lobbies, accessible 24 hours a day. In Kilgore, the box is located in the lobby of the police department, and in Marshall the department maintains a similar facility. Residents can simply place their unwanted medication in the box; Rigsby suggested that if people wish, they may mark their name on the prescription bottle for personal tracking.
Officials caution against common home‑disposal methods. “If you throw medication in the trash, someone could still retrieve it, and that remains dangerous to the community,” Rigsby said. Flushing pills down a toilet or sink creates environmental hazards that the departments aim to eliminate.
Additional resources
For those unable to visit a drop box, the agencies recommend checking the local news websites KLTV.com or KTRE.com and clicking the “Big Red Box” link under the current date for a list of additional collection sites and upcoming take‑back events.
The effort aligns with broader public‑health goals to reduce accidental poisonings, curb illicit drug manufacturing, and keep children safe from accidental ingestion. By providing convenient, secure disposal options, Marshall and Kilgore police hope to protect families and uphold the safety of East Texas neighborhoods.
Original reporting: KLTV 7 Tyler (news) — read the source article.
