On Saturday, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Sidney Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the lobby of the police department (234 W Court St). We will be able accept liquids, needles or sharps, pills and patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This event is DEA’s 21st nationwide event since its inception 12 years ago.
Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 744,082 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 4,982 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,500 of its state and local law enforcement partners. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 7,634 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety 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 United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 29 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or contact Julie Clay (Sidney Addiction Assistance Team Coordinator) at 937-498-8781 or jclay@sidneyoh.com.