Health

Operation Medicine Drop Nets Millions Of Unused Pills

WUNC | By Gurnal Scott

Published November 3, 2013 at 5:19 PM EST

North Carolina residents have turned in millions of unused pills this year as part of a effort to fight substance abuse. State Attorney General Roy Cooper says more than 9,500,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs were collected during the fall months by police agencies statewide.

They participated in "Operation Medicine Drop" -- a program that urges people to turn in unused or expired medications. The Durham Police Department led the state in the drug collection effort. Officers there took in more than 773,000 doses. Greensboro officers were close behind collecting about 735,000 doses.

Cooper says the disposal events not only cut down on abuse but also prevent improper disposal. Environmental experts say old drugs that are flushed down toilets can contaminate water supplies.

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Gurnal Scott

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.

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