DEA to hold National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on September 26

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to take part in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in order to avoid the hazardous disposal of unused drugs.

It’s on Saturday, September 26 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.in front of the police department on 420 West Trinity Place. The service is free and anonymous, allowing citizens to just drop and go. The traditional methods of disposing of unused medicines-like flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash-pose potential safety and health hazards.

DEA’s previous nine nationwide Take-Back events collected 4,823,251 pounds – more than 2,411 tons – of drugs. Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and liquids will be accepted.

Those who want to dispose of drugs they no longer need can drive through the parking lot and hand their unwanted, unneeded and expired items to an officer to have them destroyed. “Please clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse”.

In the US , the number of drug abuses and unintentional poisonings are very high, the organizers claim. The team formed Operation Medicine Cabinet: Central Montana, a community consortium of the NWGF Community Leadership Team, MHP, Great Falls Police Department, the County Attorney’s Office, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The aim of the event is to encourage the public to remove any access to drugs that may potentially be abused by friends, family and others; or would be harmful to pets and children.

This sign on the Med Return Drug Collection Unit at the Union Public Safety Department lists what can be disposed of in it and what cannot. The Tallmadge Police Department is a permanent drop-off location for Summit County’s DUMP (Dispose of Unused Medications Properly) Program.