PHOENIX, AZ (October 16, 2012) – Members of the public will be able to safely destroy unused or expired prescription medications as well as unneeded documents containing personal information at a free event on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at Home Depot, 25650 North Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria AZ. Sponsored by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in partnership with Shred-It, this free Shred-A-Thon and Prescription Drug Take-Back is part of the County Attorney’s ongoing commitment to combat identity theft and prescription drug abuse.
The event will take place from 7:00am – 11:00am, or until the shredding trucks reach full capacity.
“This free event offers citizens an opportunity to reduce the incidence of two serious problems in our community,” remarked Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “Destroying documents with personal information is one of the best ways to protect yourself against identity theft, and safely disposing unneeded medicines can help prevent prescription drug abuse, which is a growing problem among young people,” he added.
The County Attorney’s Office encourages citizens to bring the following types of documents to the Shred-A-Thon (limit: five 13-gallon trash bags or five “banker’s boxes” per vehicle):
- Tax returns older than 5 years
- Statements from banks and financial institutions
- Cancelled checks
- Paycheck stubs
- Credit card applications
- Unneeded medical records and billing statements
- Any other unneeded document that contains personal information
Expired, unused or unneeded prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, as well as used and unused sharps, will be accepted for disposal. Please note: we cannot accept used or unused inhalers.
Large document shredding trucks will be available in the Home Depot parking lot to shred up to five full boxes or bags of documents per person at no cost. Volunteers with the County Attorney’s Office will be available to assist with unloading bags from vehicles and to provide free brochures and information on preventing identity theft.
For more information on how to protect yourself against Identity Theft, please visit the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office web site at www.maricopacountyattorney.org.
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