Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office taking back unwanted prescription drugs October 28

Publish Date: October 24, 2017
Written by: Joni Money
Categories: Events | News

Birmingham, AL 10/24/2017

On Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity in 7 years 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 Sheriff’s Center Point Substation at 2651 Center Point Road or the McCalla Substation at 5977 Eastern Valley Road.  (We cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.)  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) 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.  Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—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 should know 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 about the October 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website.

LATEST HEADLINES