Residents can turn in their unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications for safe disposal on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Viking Drive Substation at 2510 Viking Drive in Bossier City.
The National Take-Back Initiative is part of the one-day collaborative effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration in which law enforcement agencies locally and around the country will collect unwanted prescription drugs and other medications for disposal.
Deputies will accept prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and OTC medications. The program is anonymous, and you are encouraged to remove identifying information from the medicine container. Intra-venous solutions, injectables and syringes will not be accepted.
According to the DEA, unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse.
A 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) revealed twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and inhalants combined. That same study revealed more than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the medicine cabinet.
Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply, and proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
