CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is participating in National Drug Take-Back Day, set to be held Saturday, April 30.

This initiative is led by the United State Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. It’s the 11th consecutive year this has been in place.

According to authorities with the CCSO, the purpose of the ‘Take-back’ is two fold. It is to help keep drugs of abuse from being resold or taken illegally. Further, it is to cut down on groundwater contamination.

It was said that some of the drugs do not filter out when at landfills or sewage treatment facilities. The remnants can then end up in the area’s groundwater.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr. said, “Over the past year, we have taken in upwards of 60 pounds of these medications between the annual Take-Back Initiative and drop-offs here at the Sheriff’s Office. That’s a significant amount of medications that will not end up in the wrong hands, or in our nation’s water system as we incinerate them as a means of disposal.”

With regard to transport and drop off of medications, the CCSO said is completely anonymous. No names or other personal information will be collected.

Further, possession of the medication to transport to the drop off location is permitted.