Wethersfield Police To Host Drug Takeback Day

Information via Wethersfield Police

WETHERSFIELD, CT – On Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Wethersfield Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Wethersfield Police Department at 250 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield, CT (sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches). The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This October’s event is DEA’s 22nd, nationwide event since its inception 11 years ago. Since 2010 this initiative has resulted in over 1.5 million pounds of pharmaceutical waste collected over nineteen drug take-back events. The collected medications will be disposed of at several incineration facilities located throughout New England that will convert the pharmaceutical waste into clean, renewable energy for use by local communities.

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 United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator.

The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 30 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or contact Sgt. Jennie E. Rivera of the Wethersfield Police Department at 860-721-2742.