Dubois County offers medication take-back sites to fight misuse, pollution

Old pills, forgotten prescriptions and unused medications can be dropped off in Dubois County on Saturday, April 25, at three locations designed to keep them out of homes, out of the wrong hands and out of local waterways.

The Jasper State Police Post at 2209 Newton Street will host a drive-through collection from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Dubois Fire Station at 4199 North State Road 545 in Dubois and Ireland Fire Station at 5053 West Main Street in Ireland will take medications from 10 a.m. to noon as walk-up sites, with drive-up access available as needed.

The collection is part of the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is scheduled for April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. nationwide. The agency says the effort gives people a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs while reducing medication abuse. It also says Take Back Day has collected more than 20 million pounds of unwanted medication since the program began.

Local organizers say the event is about more than cleaning out medicine cabinets. Unused drugs can be confused with other prescriptions, stolen, or misused, and they should never be poured down a drain or flushed. Proper disposal also helps protect waterways, groundwater and drinking water from contamination.

Residents do not need to sort the medications before arriving, and the drop-off is anonymous. After a resident or volunteer receives the medications, they are placed immediately into the collection box. That anonymity can make it easier for people to participate, especially when they are getting rid of older prescriptions that were left behind after a treatment changed or ended.

If April 25 does not work, Jasper already has a year-round option. The Jasper Police Department’s lobby drop box at 309 East 6th Street is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has been in place since 2018. That means residents do not have to wait for the special collection day if they find expired medication later.

The event will not accept sharps, infectious materials or waste from businesses or health facilities. It is backed locally by Dubois County CARES, the Dubois County Solid Waste Management District, the Dubois County Advocacy for Recovery and Prevention Council, the Dubois and Ireland fire departments, the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and the DEA. The county has seen strong turnout before: a spring 2025 collection brought in 392.2 pounds from 670 residents, and Dubois County’s spring and fall collections last year totaled 777 pounds.