[Archived] Alexandria Law Enforcement Partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration for 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 its National Prescription Drug Take-Back initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft.

On Saturday, October 26, from 10 A.M. to 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 three drop location sites in the City. The sites include Police Headquarters, located at 3600 Wheeler Avenue; the parking lot of the Del Ray Pharmacy, located at 2204 Mount Vernon Avenue; and First Baptist Church, located at 2932 King Street. 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.