Prescription Drug Takeback Day, Vape Pen Return In Murrieta

MURRIETA, CA — The Murrieta Police Department, the Riverside Police Department and other law enforcement agencies around the nation in a collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, plan on participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” Saturday, April 22, those agencies announced.

A drive-thru drop-off collection site will be set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. across from the medical center at 3660 Park Sierra Drive in Riverside.

Drug takeback is also taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Murrieta Police Department in the front parking area. See the map here.

Everyone is invited to bring their expired, unused, and/or unwanted pharmaceuticals will be collected and turned over to the DEA for safe destruction.

The event is free, anonymous, and with no questions asked, police said in a recent news release. To find your nearest drug takeback location visit the DEA online.

National Prescription Drug Takeback Day is designed to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential abuse of medications. Each site also allows for the safe disposal of E-cigarettes and vape pens once the batteries have been removed from the device.

Unfortunately, used needles and syringes will not be collected at this event.

The overarching purpose of the “National Take Back Initiative” is to prevent pill abuse and theft through the collection of potentially dangerous and expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

The Riverside Police Department is once again collaborating with Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center and will be collecting these types of drugs for proper disposal.

"At Kaiser Permanente, we care about the total health of our Southern California community, and we believe it's our duty to educate residents about the importance of the proper and safe disposal of prescription drugs," said Rhonda Polchak, vice president of Pharmacy Operations and Services for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. continue to rise, as is the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses of prescription drugs.

According to a recent report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, people who tend to misuse prescription medications originally obtain that medicine through a family member or friend, often without their knowledge.

In 2023, collecting old or unused vape products is also a key focus of the takeback day, officials said.

The trouble with vaping pens:

Both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the DEA has determined that vaping pens without internal batteries are considered household hazardous waste, the exact same waste designation as the collected pharmaceuticals and can therefore be co-mingled with those NTBI materials.

There is a different waste designation if the pens contain batteries due to a potential fire hazard. For pens that have batteries that cannot be removed, consumers should call their local hazardous waste management facility or check with large electronic chain stores that may accept the devices for proper disposal.

For more information regarding the National Take Back Initiative, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.