Sarasota Police Department collects 63 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs during DEA Take Back Day

 

 

 

Sarasota Police Department collects 63 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs during DEA Take Back Day

 

SPD

 

 

Officers with the Sarasota Police Department collected 63 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs while partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during the annual Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, 2020.

 

The service was free and anonymous with no questions asked.  The October 24^th event was the DEA’s 19^th nationwide event since its inception 10 years ago.  The 63 pounds of unwanted prescription pills will be collected and properly disposed by members of the DEA.

 

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that are in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.  Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.  Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold.  Prescription drugs that are unused and flushed contaminate water supplies.  Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment. 

 

 

Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners.  The DEA and their law enforcement partners have collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.