The Fairfield Police Department will be joining thousands of other law enforcement agencies nationwide that will be participating in the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Division Drug Take Back Day event on Saturday.
“This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” read a release issued by the DEA. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. 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.
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.”
The drive-thru event will be held at the Fairfield Police Department, 1000 Webster St., Fairfield, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday. Upon arrival, attendees are asked to follow the directions of police staff on-site.
During the event, attendees 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.
Fairfield PD officials ask that all attendees make sure that all medications are sealed tightly in a Ziploc bag at the time of disposal.
During the last National Drug Take Back Day, which was held in October, a total of 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 Fairfield Police Crime Prevention Unit at (707) 428-7789.
