Get Rid of Old Drugs at Prescription Take-Back Day – Saturday, October 26th

This Saturday, October 26th, 2013 is the 7th Prescription Take-Back Day. The Davis Police Department, in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, is taking back unused and unwanted prescription medication at their location at 2600 5th Street, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

According to a press release:

On October 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Davis Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its seventh opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. 

Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (over 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2.8 million pounds—more than 1,400 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.

This drop-off site will be accepting liquid medication and prescription pills; we will not be accepting syringes.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, here is information on how to properly dispose of prescription medicationFor more information, please visit the Davis PD informational web site.