Alexandria Law
Enforcement Partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration for 6th
Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
The
Alexandria Police Department and the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office have partnered
with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the 6th National
Prescription Drug Take-Back initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill
abuse and theft.
On
Saturday, April 27, from 10 A.M. – 2 P.M., the two Alexandria law enforcement
agencies, with cooperation from the Substance Abuse Coalition of Alexandria, will
be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription
drugs and other medications for destruction at two drop location sites in the
City. The sites include Police
Headquarters, located at 3600 Wheeler Avenue and the parking lot of the Del Ray
Pharmacy, located at 2204 Mount Vernon Avenue.
The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public
health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home
cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of
prescription drug abuse in the United
States are increasing at alarming rates, as
are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from
family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how
to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the
toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.
These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use
and an unacceptable risk to public health and safety. This one-day effort is intended to bring
national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance
abuse.
Collection sites in every local community can be found by
going to www.dea.gov.
For more information on the environmental effects of the improper
disposal of prescription drugs visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/Environment.
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