Delaware County Message for Safe Disposal of Prescription Drugs

Now is the time for residents to take stock of their medicine cabinet to prevent the misuse or theft of prescription drugs and to properly dispose of unused or expired medications.
Despite being safe when used by the patient they are prescribed for, in the prescribed manner, misused or abused prescription drugs can be just as deadly as common street drugs.
"The 'Take Back' initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue," said County Council Chairman Jack Whelan. "Many people are not aware that medicines that sit in home cabinets are at a high risk for misuse and abuse."
Chairman Whelan was joined in announcing the second annual "Take Back" event by District Attorney G. Michael Green, Delaware County Medical Examiner Fredric Hellman and County Senior Medical Advisor Dr. George Avetian, along with several representatives from the law enforcement community.
The first "Take Back" event was held in September, 2010. According to DEA records, Delaware County collected 277.4 pounds of drugs. Nationwide, 121 tons of household medications were collected and destroyed.
Studies indicate that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. Experts warn that parents may not notice that their teenagers, family members or visitors may be sneaking pills out of outdated prescription bottles because the medication isn't currently being used. Younger children may be at risk for accidental ingestion if a large amount of medicines are kept in a home.
People can reduce the risk by reducing the medicine cabinet to only current, unexpired medications, over-the-counter or otherwise.
Collection sites will anonymously accept both prescription and over-the-counter products that are solid in nature (tablets or capsules) with no questions asked. However, any intravenous solutions, injectables, needles, or illegal substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine will not be accepted as part of the "Take Back" initiative. This effort is specifically for prescription and over-the-counter medications only.
In addition, many residents do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away, both potential safety and health hazards.
People can also ask their physician or pharmacist how to dispose of unused prescription medications.
The Delaware County Office of Behavioral Health contracts with Holcomb Behavioral Systems to offer drug prevention and education programs.
For more information about the nationwide "Take Back" event visit www.dea.gov. Click on the "Got Drugs?" icon, follow the links to the database, and enter a zip code to find the nearest drop-off location.

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