Minier Police Department participates in Drug Take Back Day

[April 28, 2018] 

On Saturday, April 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Minier Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 15th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by riddling their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Minier Police Department at 110 West Central Street in Minier. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last fall Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 9-million pounds – more than 4,500 tons – of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safely and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoes due to these drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 28 Take Back Day, go to www.DEATakeBack.com. 

[Minier Police Department]