Rhode Islanders urged to dispose of unwanted drugs on Take-Back Day

Posted 10/18/16

As communities across the country struggle with prescription drug abuse and opioid addiction, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is encouraging Rhode Islanders to take advantage of the upcoming National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 22 from 10

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Rhode Islanders urged to dispose of unwanted drugs on Take-Back Day

Posted

As communities across the country struggle with prescription drug abuse and opioid addiction, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is encouraging Rhode Islanders to take advantage of the upcoming National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and discard all unwanted narcotic pain killers and other prescription drugs at participating local police stations, including those in Cranston, Johnston and Warwick. This semi-annual event, which was started by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2010, helps educate the public about the potential for prescription drug abuse and provides an opportunity for safe disposal of expired, unused, or unwanted medications, including narcotic painkillers and other opioids.

The drop box service is free and anonymous. Dropoff locations on October 22 will include the Cranston Police Department, 5 Garfield Avenue, Cranston; Johnston Senior Center, 1291 Hartford Avenue, Johnston; and Warwick Police Department, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Warwick.

“This is a public health and public safety program that makes it more convenient for people to do the right thing and safely dispose of unused prescription drugs. By getting these drugs out of medicine cabinets, it reduces the number of medications being misused or stolen. And it also helps stop dangerous chemicals and pharmaceuticals from getting into our water supply,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the DEA.

At the last Prescription Drug Take Back Day held in Rhode Island on April 30, more than 30 participating collection sites throughout the state collected approximately 3,460 pounds of prescription drugs, according to the DEA. Nationwide, the DEA and it’s 4,200 state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners collected 893,498 pounds of unwanted medicines – about 447 tons – at almost 5,400 sites in all 50 states, beating its previous high of 390 tons in the spring of 2014 by 57 tons, or more than 114,000 pounds.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, about 70 percent of new abusers of pain relievers obtained their pills from a friend or relative, oftentimes without that person knowing it.

Earlier this month, the DEA also announced it is planning to reduce the amount of almost every Schedule II opiate and opioid medication that may be manufactured in the United States in 2017 by 25 percent or more. This will help reduce the over consumption of several addictive prescription painkillers, and prevent a glut of drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, hydromorphone and morphine from ending up on the street. The DEA also notes that the reduced quotas are due in part to a decreased demand for opioid medications as more physicians become informed about the dangers of over-prescribing pain medication.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here