Prescription Drug Take-Back on April 29

April 20, 2017>

Accidental exposure to medications can be a problem in the United States and it’s often in homes with young children, so it’s important to dispose of expired and old medications in the home as they present an unnecessary health risk.

The majority of prescription drug abusers report in surveys
that they get their drugs from friends and family

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day offers a way to safely and conveniently dispose of medications. On Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., several local law enforcement agencies will accept pills for safe disposal (needles, sharps and liquids cannot be accepted.)

In 2016, this is a free and anonymous service that resulted in 893,498 pounds of pills being collected, and of that number 24,170 pounds were collected in Colorado.

Americans understand that cleaning out old prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and bedside tables reduces accidents, thefts, and the misuse and abuse of these medicines, including the opioid painkillers that accounted for 20,808 drug overdoses - 78 a day - in 2014 (the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 

 Eight out of 10 new heroin users began
by abusing prescription painkillers
and moved to heroin
when they could no longer obtain or afford those painkillers.

It’s important, however, you don’t dispose of old medications and drugs in the sewer or in the garbage can – both of those disposal methods can lead to accidental exposure, contaminated water, or intentional misuse.

The Front Range Landfill and Waste Connections of Colorado encourages everyone to support the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day as a way to protect our communities from unnecessary exposure to medications in the home and minimize the risk for abuse.

Below are drop off locations or you can search online and locate other locations closer to you.

Last Modified: 01/22/2021 12:15:27 pm MST

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