Cherokee County Sheriff's Office to Accept Unused Medications April 25 at Five Locations

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office will participate in the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Law Enforcement event on Friday, April 25, collecting unused and expired medications at five local retail locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Residents can drop off medications at two Woodstock Walmart locations, 6435 Bells Ferry Road and 12182 Hwy 92, as well as the Jasper Walmart at 1100 Old Philadelphia Road. Kroger locations at 6199 Hwy 92 in Acworth and 2295 Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock round out the collection sites.

No appointment is needed. Residents simply bring unused or expired pills, patches, or other solid medications to any participating location during the four-hour window. Collections are anonymous and free of charge.

The DEA runs this program twice a year for a straightforward reason: unused prescriptions sitting in medicine cabinets are one of the most common pathways to drug misuse. Studies have consistently found that a significant share of people who misuse prescription drugs obtained them from family members or friends, often from supplies that were simply never thrown away. A dedicated collection event removes the guesswork about how to safely dispose of those medications and eliminates the temptation entirely.

Cherokee County has not been insulated from the prescription drug and opioid challenges that have touched communities across Georgia and the nation. As the county's population has grown rapidly in recent years, so too has the scale of that responsibility. Events like Take Back Day give residents a direct, low-barrier action, no paperwork, no judgment, no cost, that makes a measurable difference at the neighborhood level.

Residents with questions can contact the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office directly or visit the DEA's official Take Back Day website to find additional information and collection sites.