The Benicia Police Department will join thousands of other law enforcement agencies nationwide Saturday to focus on ridding the country of the extra prescription drugs that can often lead to addiction, overdoses and accidental overdoses.
“Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse,” read a release issued by the DEA ahead of Saturday’s U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division Drug Take Back Day event.
“Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.”
The drive-thru event will be held at the Benicia Police Department, 200 East L St., Benicia, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
According to the DEA, unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold.
“They also pose an environmental threat when improperly flushed down the toilet,” read the release.” Proper disposal of unwanted and unused prescription drugs saves lives and protects the environment.”
Attendees on Saturday will be able to dispose of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs, pills and patches free and anonymously. Unlike previous years, officials said this year the drop-off location will be accepting liquids but sites will not be collecting sharps and needles. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not part of the initiative and will not be accepted.
“Law enforcement personnel will be overseeing the surrender process to ensure collection site protocols are adhered to,” said Benicia officials. “All participants must retain possession of their own medications during the surrender process. Law enforcement personnel will not handle the medications at any time prior to, and during placement into the designated disposal boxes. Law enforcement personnel will not count, inventory, or log medications being surrendered.”
Officials say non-liquid medication can be submitted without being in its original container, but if an original container is submitted, it is encouraged to remove all identifying information. Vape pens, e-cigarettes, and battery operated inhalers will be accepted as well, but only after the battery component has been removed.
Vape pens and inhalers with non-removable batteries will not be accepted as they pose a danger to law enforcement personnel and incinerator staff involved in the destruction phase of the NTBI process because there is potential that they may explode in the incinerator.
During the last National Drug Take Back Day in October, 599,897 pounds, or approximately 300 tons, of unwanted drugs were collected by 4,383 law enforcement agencies nationwide.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator at https://tinyurl.com/5ba5zt65.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 27 event, visit www.DEATakeBack.com or contact the Benicia Police Department at (707) 745-3412.
