FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Last week, Frankfort Police arrested 38-year-old Melissa S. Green after her 2-year-old grandchild got into her Percocet which led to the child being treated at a local medical center with Narcan. Reports explain that Green didn't have the pills stored correctly and didn't have a valid prescription.
Frankfort Police Special Victim’s Detective Guss Curtis says, "Through the investigation, we were able to show the substance that the child had ingested was in the possession of Ms. Green at the time."
Green faced several charges including wanton endangerment in addition to some other charges unrelated to this case. Now, the Frankfort Police Department and other central Kentucky departments are talking about the importance of National Drug Take Back day.
Curtis says, "It’s actually sponsored by the DEA, we do it twice a year. So, pretty much what it is, if you do have any old prescriptions or any type of medication that needs to be destroyed or obviously getting rid of, you can bring it to the Frankfort Police Department."
Several central Kentucky police and health departments are working together to collect dry pills at this Saturday’s National Drug Take Back Day.
Some of those departments include Frankfort:
Nicholasville:
and Lexington:
Officers say everyone should keep an eye on their meds.
Nicholasville Police Officer Sam Wade says, "Oftentimes, when medication go beyond their expiration date, they are either not as potent or can have negative side effects. The big thing that we are concerned about is those not being — either used inappropriately or the wrong people getting a hold of those."
Medication cannot be flushed or just thrown away — law enforcement says it's important to make sure that it's properly disposed.
Detective Curtis explains, "Unfortunately, we are in a drug epidemic. So, with people abusing the prescription medications along with just putting others in a situation that could cause potential harm in the future, we really try to connect with the community, keep an open line of communication on safety with prescription medication."
