Trumbull Take Back Drugs Day

From the Trumbull Police Department: On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Trumbull Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Anyone may bring pills for disposal to the parking lot of Middlebrooks School at 220 Middlebrooks Avenue, Trumbull. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Assisting us this year are the Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking & Drugs (TPAUD) and The Trumbull Police Cadets.

Last April, Americans turned in 900,386 lbs. (450 Tons) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. 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 more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or the Take Back Day event, including additional municipalities participating and locations, visit the Drug Enforcement Agency’s website for the event here.

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