Prescription Drug Take Back Day April 29

Post date: Apr 5, 2017 3:08:48 PM

Police to Participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 29, 2017

Public Information Officer Ashley Savage from Arlington County Police Department · 15m ago

On Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 13th opportunity in six years 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 listed sites. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Please note: The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps. Only pills or patches will be accepted.)

The Arlington County Police Department will be collecting prescription drugs at the following sites:

Fire Station #1

500 S. Glebe Road

Arlington, VA 22204

(Rear parking lot)

Fire Station #8

4845 Lee Highway

Arlington, VA 22207

(Side parking lot)

Fire Station #9

1900 S. Walter Reed Drive

Arlington, VA 22204

(Rear parking lot)

Last October, efforts across the nation resulted in the collection of approximately 366 tons of pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for safe and proper disposal. In Virginia, 127 agencies collected over 23,000 pounds at 174 collection sites. When those results are combined with what was collected in its twelve previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds—more than 3500 tons—of pharmaceutical medications. As a result, our communities are safer because of the disposal opportunities provided by the DEA and partnering agencies.

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.

The DEA is in the process of approving new regulations that implement the Safe and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” (that is, a patient or their family member or pet owner) 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.

If residents are unable to participate in this event, the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services advises residents to throw unwanted prescription drugs in the trash! Arlington County recommends disposing of over-the-counter and prescription medications with your regular trash. The County’s municipal solid waste is incinerated at the Waste-To-Energy facility so medications, when thrown away, will be incinerated. To dispose of medications in the trash, remove them from their original container, add water to melt the pills then place them in an unattractive substance such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter and put them in your garbage. For more information about disposal of medications visit: http://recycling.arlingtonva.us/househol....

Shared with all areas in Arlington County Police Department in Crime & Safety