NORWICH — The City of Norwich Police Department held their twice-annual Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 23. The event saw high participation, with over 80 people turning in prescription drugs to the department.

NPD Chief Rodney Marsh said the Drug Take Back days are sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and are used as a way to keep drugs out of landfills and off the streets.

"A lot of people have expired prescription medication that they want to get rid of, and you shouldn't put them in landfills and stuff like that," said Marsh. "We don't want those ending up onto the street, you know, and fall into somebody else's hands."

Also participating in the event was Chenango Health Network (CHN), which according to CHN Drug Free Community Coordinator Kyli Anderson is a "rural health network whose objectives are to increase access to health and wellness information, and to health care services."

Anderson and her colleague Tiffani Gager, CHN Community Health Worker, attended the Drug Take Back day to provide information on substance use disorder and substance use prevention.

"We're helping collect the drugs. People are bringing back prescription drugs, and then some are actually bringing in animal prescriptions as well, so that's a good thing. But yeah, we are trying to incorporate some substance use prevention," said Anderson. "It's nice to see our community is actually taking the right steps in getting rid of their prescription drugs and bringing them to the right place."