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<p>What a fantastic headline!</p>
<p>"If you flush drugs down the toilet, you could be creating 'meth gators,' police in Tennessee say"</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/us/police-warn-flushing-drugs-create-meth-gators-trnd/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/us/police-warn-flushing-drugs-create-meth-gators-trnd/index.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For me, the final line of this story raises a question about the safe disposal of illegal drugs.
</p>
<p>[Bcc'ed: DEA, Loretto PD, and local law enforcement] </p>
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<p><strong><font face="Verdana">(CNN) </font></strong>A Tennessee police department is warning residents to stop flushing drugs down their toilet and sinks out of fear they could create "meth gators."
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable">"Now our sewer guys take great pride in releasing water that is cleaner than what is in the creek, but they are not really prepared for meth," according to a Loretto Police Department social media post. "Ducks, Geese,
and other fowl frequent our treatment ponds and we shudder to think what one all hyped up on meth would do."<br>
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable">The police <a href="https://www.facebook.com/242269961917/photos/a.295962761917/10156398962026918/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">
<font color="#000000">posted the warning to Facebook</font></a> on Saturday after officers found a suspect unsuccessfully trying to flush methamphetamine and paraphernalia at their home.<br>
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph">The suspect was arrested, but police say this is becoming a bigger issue for the city because drugs in the sewer system end up in retention ponds for processing before they are sent downstream.
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<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/health/opioid-fda-pets-bn/index.html"></div>
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<div class="media__caption el__storyelement__title">Police warn that if the drugs make it far enough, they will end up being consumed by gators in Shoal Creek.
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<div id="js-body-read-more" class="read-more-link">"They've had enough methed up animals the past few weeks without our help," police wrote.
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph">Loretto Police urge residents to bring in any drugs, including prescription medication, into their offices for proper disposal instead of flushing.</div>
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<div><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">Can states and/or municipalities grant relief of liability to people who deliver illegal drugs to law enforcement as unclaimed (abandoned?) property? How many
do? <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">
I'm guessing the Loretto Police have a "no questions asked" policy around illegal drugs that are turned in.
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<div><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">"No questions asked" is a great law enforcement policy since the DEA does not allow illegal drug disposal through a collection receptacle, mail-back package,
or take-back event. Someone at DEA told me this is to make collection locations less of a target for theft. </span></font><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">
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<div><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">"10. Can I dispose of illicit drugs through a collection receptacle, mail-back package, or take-back event? How can I safely and securely dispose of my unwanted marijuana?
• No. Persons may not dispose of illicit drugs (e.g., schedule I controlled substances such as marijuana, heroin, LSD) through any of the three disposal methods. • Persons may not dispose of any controlled substances that they do not legally possess. This
includes schedules II-V controlled substances that are illegally obtained and possessed."
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black"><a href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/fact_sheets/disposal_public_06222018.pdf">https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/fact_sheets/disposal_public_06222018.pdf</a></span></div>
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<div><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">Any clarifications on the extent of, "no questions asked" policies and/or the release of liability for anyone giving law enforcement, "unclaimed property" would be appreciated.
Thanks!</span></div>
<div><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black"></span> </div>
<div><font size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: black">Ed Gottlieb
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Chair, Tompkins County Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal<br>
Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator<br>
Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility<br>
525 3<sup>rd</sup> Street<br>
Ithaca, NY 14850<br>
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; COLOR: blue"><a href="tel:(607)%20273-8381" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff">(607) 273-8381</font></a><br>
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