Milpitas PD Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

From Milpitas Police Department: On Saturday, April 29, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Milpitas Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 13th opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Milpitas Police Department at 1275 N. Milpitas Blvd. in Milpitas.

The Milpitas Police Department cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, and can only accept pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. In October 2016, Milpitas residents turned in 165 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs. Americans turned in 366 tons (over 731,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 12 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds—about 3,500 tons—of prescription drugs.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, 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, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 29th Take Back event, go to the DEA Diversion website: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/

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