The Fulton County Sheriff's Office partnered with Woodlawn Health on Saturday, April 26, to give the public an opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
The collection event coincided with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The sheriff's office reports collecting more than 375 pounds of unused, unwanted or expired medication during the last 6 months. As a reminder, these medications can be dropped off 24/7 in a collection box located in the lobby of the sheriff's office at 2006 Sweetgum Road.
"The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue," the DEA states. "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."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised 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.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here.
For more information about the Take Back Day event, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.
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