Drug Take-Bay Day Is Saturday In Contra Costa County

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, Oct. 27, and the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office is hosting several drop-off sites for unused or expired medications -- free with no questions asked -- from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the county.

The service, sponsored nationwide by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, does not accept needles or "sharps," only pills, patches and liquids sealed in original containers, the agency said.

The annual day is an opportunity for the public to help prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Drop-off locations in Contra Costa County include:

• Office of the Sheriff Muir Station, 1980 Muir Road, Martinez. (Field Operations Building)
• Office of the Sheriff Bay Station, 5555 Giant Highway, Richmond. (West County Detention Facility)
• Danville Police Department, 510 La Gonda Way, Danville.
• Lafayette Police Department, 3471 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette.
• Orinda Police Department, 22 Orinda Way, Orinda.

Unwanted or expired medications also can be dropped off at the Concord Police Department Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the Community Service Desk is open.

"Medicines that languish at home are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse," the sheriff's office said. "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."

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take-Back event, go to www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

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