Fewer drugs on the street and in the water system.

That was the goal of a safe pill disposal event held at several locations in Lawrence County and throughout the nation Saturday.

After just an hour at one location, 24 people had taken advantage of the program at the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

“We probably have 25 to 30 pounds of pills already in an hour,” Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said.

The sheriff’s office and the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste District along with St. Mary’s Medical Center teamed up for the event.

Other locations included the Coal Grove Village Hall, the Ironton Police Department, Ironton Hills shopping center, the Lawrence County Fairgrounds and Walmart parking lot.

Lawless said the program helps takes drugs off the street and out of peoples’ houses, which makes them less of a target for those who may want to steal them. Not having the drugs makes a residence safer for children as well, he said.

This is the third year for the sheriff’s officer’s and the LSSWD’s fourth year sponsoring the program.

“It’s grown by leaps and bounds,” Lawless said, adding there are several other locations for the take-back.

Last year, at Dow Chemical, 60 pounds of pills were collected.

Besides keeping them off the streets, the take back program also means the drugs won’t be getting into the water supply.

Dan Palmer, director of the district, said a study of the Ohio River from Paducah, Ky. to Pittsburgh, Pa., found that small amounts of cocaine, veterinary hormones and heart medicines were present, due to people flushing unwanted drugs down toilets.

“You wonder about the years prior to this,” Palmer said. “All this stuff was in our water.”

Many senior adults dropped off prescription drugs Saturday and commented that the pills had been in their cabinets for years because they did not know what to do with them, Palmer said.

The collected drugs will be weighed and then incinerated, Lawless said.

One of the people who brought their prescription drugs was Yolanda Govey of Catlettsburg, Ky., who had her 3-year-old daughter in tow at the Walmart drop off.

“I wanted them out of the house with a little one and another one on the way,” Govey said. “I think it’s great that they’re doing this. You used to be able to drop them off at the pharmacy but now no one takes them.

“It keeps them out of the wrong hands.”