NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY-SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2012

NEWS RELEASE

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

 Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

This is a great opportunity for the community to safely dispose of those accumulated, unwanted, unused/expired prescription medications. According to the DEA, Americans who participated in last year’s DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative, turned in more than 377,086 pounds for proper disposal at 5,327 disposal sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

For those who have missed previous events, take this opportunity to rid of those prescription drugs to avoid the risk of drug diversion and abuse and increase public health awareness. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has once again partnered with the DEA by hosting various collection sites for your convenience in El Paso County.

SITE 1

SHERIFF’S OFFICE VINTON STATION

436 E. VINTON, VINTON TX

(915)886-2724

SITE 2

SHERIFF’S OFFICE MONTANA STATION

12501 MONTANA, EL PASO, TX

(915)856-4875

SITE 3

SHERIFF’S OFFICE FABENS STATION

201 W. CAMP, FABENS, TX

(915)764-3972

The DEA’s Take-Back events are a significant piece of the White House’s prescription drug abuse prevention strategy entitled Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis developed and promoted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Purging America’s home medicine cabinets of unwanted or expired medications is one of four action items outlined in the strategy for reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for one month. Often, some of these medicines languish in the home and are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high—more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies show that the majority of teens who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from family and friends for free, including from the home medicine cabinet. Many Americans simply do not know how to properly dispose of their unused or expired medicine, often flushing it down the toilet or throwing it away. These methods can pose both safety and environmental hazards.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html