Farmington Hills Police, DEA Offer Drug Take Back Event Sept. 29

The Farmington Hills Police Department partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Sept. 29 to coordinate a one-day, Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

This collaborative effort will safely and anonymously remove potentially dangerous controlled substances (any medication requiring a prescription) from homes throughout the community.

Residents of any city can use the DEA-provided collection box inside Farmington Hills Police Headquarters at 31655 Eleven Mile Rd., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The event will be supervised by officials from both the DEA and the Police Department.

Prescription drugs do not need to be in original labeled packaging, any type of container is acceptable.

On the April 28 Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the DEA collected a record-breaking 276 tons of unwanted or expired medications at 5,659 Take-Back sites located in all 50 states and U.S. territories. During the Take-Back event this spring in Farmington Hills, the Police Department collected 62 pounds of prescription pills, which were then destroyed by the DEA.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimates that there are over 6 million non-medical users of prescription drugs in the United States. The survey shows that more Americans abuse prescription drugs than the number of cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogen abusers combined. Expired, unused or unwanted controlled substances in homes are a potential source of supply that fuels this abuse and are an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.

For more information, call the Investigative Bureau at 248-871-2770.

--taken from a City of Farmington Hills press release