Indiana did not disappoint during the medication “Take Back” weekend that took place over the past weekend. Prescription drugs are consistently the No.1 cause of addiction and overdose for teens in our country today. It is documented that our teens find their first high from their own medicine cabinet daily. Simply put, if parents and family members would just throw out unwanted and outdated medicine during the yearly “Take Back” dates, many lives could be saved.
Bravo, Indiana!! As the numbers role in, it can be seen that many have been listening. The fourth annual “Take Back” has been steadily increasing at a rate that everyone can be proud of at the end of the day.
Early numbers are reporting that Richmond residents turned in 800 pounds of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication and led the state in the weight of returned meds, during the Saturday the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Take Back Day, according to Richmond Police Department Det. Jon Chilcoate. (Pal-Item.com).
In Ohio, the Preble County Sheriff’s Office took in 31 pounds of unwanted or expired medication, while the Darke County Sheriff’s Office reported taking in approximately 80 pounds of medication during Saturday’s event. (Pal-Item.com).
Nationally:
Americans that participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.
Benefits:
"The primary one is that you open yourself up to theft if you have a lot of prescription drugs sitting around the house," Chilcoate said. “When you have a street value of $50, $60, $70, $80 dollars a pill, there’s a financial incentive even if you’re not involved in the addiction issue.”
"Also, we will dispose of them properly and safely for the environment. It creates a real problem with the ecosystem and the water supply if they aren't disposed of properly. In some larger cities, there has been research done where they actually found pharmaceuticals in the water supply." Chilcoate, Richmond Police Department.
In October 2011, when the last take-back day occurred, about 5.5 tons of medicines were collected at 85 sites in Indiana.
For a complete list of sites, visit www.dea.gov or call (800) 882-9539.
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