The Cumberland Prevention Coalition is partnering with law-enforcement agencies in the community to host National Drug Take-Back Day this weekend at sites throughout Cumberland County.
The event will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Take-Back sites will be with the with Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at the Justice Center, Crossville Police Department at Walmart, and Fairfield Glade Police Department at Fairfield Glade Food City.
The Coalition will distribute substance abuse prevention information. A limited number of medication lockboxes will be available.
Expired or unwanted prescription drugs in the home are a potential source of supply for abuse of drugs and are a risk to public health and safety.
According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, every day an average of 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time, and 70% of all people who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from family and/or friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 to provide a legal means for disposal of or transfer possession of unused and expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration created the DEA National Drug Take-Back Days in April and October of each year to provide a way for the responsible disposal of prescription drugs. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to educate the public about the misuse and abuse of medications.
At the first National Drug Take-Back event in September 2010, more than 121 tons of prescription drugs turned in for disposal.
Since that first event, take-back days twice a year have collected a total of 9,600 tons of unused, expired, or unneeded medications for safe disposal. The most recent event in October of 202 saw more than 314 tons of unused, expired or unneeded medications collected for safe disposal.
The Coalition encourages residents of Cumberland County to include cleaning out their medicine cabinets as part of their spring cleaning and to safely dispose of any expired or unwanted medications at one of the community drop locations.
Liquids, aerosols and sharps will not be accepted.