Newport Beach Police Hold Prescription Drug Takeback

From the Newport Beach Police:

On Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Newport Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an 11th opportunity in six year to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially-dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the OASIS Senior Center at 800 Narcissus Avenue, Newport Beach. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps; only pills and patches will be accepted.) The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

Last September, Americans turned in 350 tons (over 702,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,000 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its ten previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners took in over 2,750 tons (over 5.5 million pounds) of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. 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 additional information about the disposal of prescription drugs or the April 30 Take Back event, please visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website at www.dea.gov. A flyer is also attached to this email.