AVALON —The Avalon Police Department is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Initiative to conduct a “Take Back” prescription drug turn in program on Sat., April 28 from 10 a.m. until 2 P.M.
The program will be conducted free of charge at the Avalon Police Department, located at the Public Safety Building at 3100 Dune Drive in Avalon.
“This is a free, easy, effective way for our residents to dispose of unwanted prescription medications inside their homes”, said Avalon Police Chief William McCormick. “Sometimes these prescription drugs accidentally fall into the hands of the wrong people, including youngsters. This ‘Take Back’ program allows residents to get rid of their expired or unwanted prescription medications”.
Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds—188.5 tons—of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement partners. In its three previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in almost a million pounds—nearly 500 tons—of pills.
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 U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including 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.
Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them.
The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act, a process that can take as long as 24 months.
For more information please visit www.avalonboro.org.
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