While prescription medication is vital for treating medical conditions, it’s important to dispose of it properly. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is this Saturday, April 29, which provides the public a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of their prescription drugs at collection sites across the country.
This nationally recognized day addresses a prevalent public safety and public health issue: preventing the abuse or misuse of unwanted prescription drugs. By helping people remove them from their homes and dispose of them in a safe, environmentally-friendly way, this initiative helps reduce the risk of accidental or inappropriate ingestion of potentially dangerous medications.
”Unwanted, expired or unused prescription medications are often an unintended catalyst for addiction. Take-Back events like these raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and offer the public a safe and anonymous way to help prevent substance abuse,” said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg.
When people keep leftover prescription medications in their home medicine cabinets, the medication presents a higher risk for being used inappropriately or taken accidentally. According to the Partnership at Drugfree.org, more than four in ten teens who have misused or abused a prescription drug obtained it from their parents’ medicine cabinet. Furthermore, disposing of prescription drugs by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away can pose hazards to individuals and the environment.
Learn more about National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and find a collection site near you.
