Metro Drug Coalition is partnering with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to focus on Knox County’s senior population with the announcement of a new medication mail-back program and the return of the Aging Adult Resource Fair. Both initiatives aim to provide aging adults with resources to better their lives and improve their safety. 

The new medication mail-back program will allow seniors to place unwanted or expired medications in an envelope and send it in for safe disposal from their homes. Metro Drug Coalition is providing the mail-back envelopes and postage free of charge. These secure envelopes will be delivered directly to homebound seniors by The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Senior Citizen Awareness Network (SCAN). The unwanted medications are mailed to American Rx Group, which operates in compliance with all DEA regulations and requirements for medication mail-back.

The 2021 Drug Related Death Report revealed people over the age of 55 saw the sharpest increase in drug-related deaths in Knox County, including a 150% increase in those over the age of 75. These increases make proper disposal of medications more important now than ever. MDC’s medication mail-back program gives those seniors who are unable to attend in-person take back events the opportunity to make their homes safer by reducing the risk of accidental ingestion of both household and prescription medication.

For those seniors who are able to attend in person, Metro Drug Coalition and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office will also hold their quarterly Aging Adult Resource Fair on July 21, 2023 at the South Knox Senior Center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This event offers another opportunity to dispose of unwanted and expired medications safely, while also providing a variety of resources for both seniors and their caregivers in a one-stop shop. According to the 2022 Advance Knox State of the County Report, people aged 55 and over is the fastest growing demographic group in Knox County. This event is an opportunity to connect that population with the services available to them to help combat problems often faced by aging adults, including financial, social, emotional, and medical challenges. 

Nearly thirty vendors will be in attendance, including the CAC Office on Aging Rise Above Crime Program and Volunteer Assisted Transportation, Knox County Public Library, Senior Financial Group, Concord Adult Day Enrichment Program, and others. Paper Bee Gone will also be there to offer free document shredding. 

For more information about these programs, visit https://metrodrug.org/takeback/.