Where To Take Old Drugs In Columbia For Drug Take-Back Day

COLUMBIA, MD — You know all those old prescription bottles that you want to get out of the way but haven’t in forever? In Columbia, you can dispose of unused medication April 28 at various locations during the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the drug take back event is held twice annually to help Americans safely dispose of expired and unused prescriptions.

The majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, according to the DEA. "Don't be your family's drug dealer!" says HC DrugFree, which offers prevention, treatment and recovery resources related to substance abuse disorders in Howard County.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, prescription drug disposal events are happening at these locations around Columbia:

• Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot, sponsored by HC Drugfree, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, Columbia, MD 21044; there will be a "drive-through" drop-off for convenience near the UPS store and swim center
• Howard County Police Community Outreach, 10785 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044

Have sharp objects like needles, syringes and EpiPens? The Howard County Police Department says they can be disposed of at the HC DrugFree location, along with other medications, in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot.

Also check here to find more locations.

Last fall, Americans turned in a record-setting 912,305 pounds — or 456 tons — of potentially dangerous drugs, almost 6 tons more than collected at the spring 2017 event. That brings to 4,508 tons the amount of prescription drugs collected by the DEA since the fall of 2010.

Included in the haul are ever-higher amounts of opioids, the DEA said. Though prescribed for pain management, these highly addictive drugs can be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens. Opioid use has been declared a public health emergency by President Donald Trump.

Often, the path to addiction to illegal drugs like heroin begins at a doctor’s office with a prescription for opioids.

“The abuse of these prescription drugs has fueled the nation’s opioid epidemic, which has led to the highest rate of overdose deaths this country has ever seen,” DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson said in a statement. “This is a crisis that must be addressed from multiple angles. Educating the public and removing these medications from households across the United State prevents misuse where it often starts.”

In 2016, opioids were involved in 42,249 overdose deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016, the latest year for which statistics are available, than they were in 1999.

But it’s not just opioids that pose dangers. Expired prescription drugs can be less effective or risky due to changes over time in chemical composition. Some expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Expired antibiotics may not treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance, the DEA said.

Get more information about the DEA's Drug Take Back Day.

Where To Get Help For Addiction

People can use the treatment locator on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.

There are Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings available locally as well as Nar-Anon and Al-Anon for family members.

Marylanders grappling with substance can also find help at BeforeItsTooLateMD.org.

Picture courtesy of HC DrugFree. Stock photo by Kimberly Boyle/Shutterstock.