From the Trussville Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY Attorney General Steve Marshall is urging Alabamians to participate in the DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, on Saturday, at various locations throughout the state.
See related: Trussville Police to host “Drug Take Back” on Saturday
This year’s event—the 16th DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back–has approximately 50 collection sites scheduled to be available in Alabama this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to combat the abuse or misuse of potentially dangerous medicines that have expired or are no longer needed for those whom these controlled substances were prescribed. Law enforcement officers will be present at sites throughout Alabama to receive unused prescription drugs for safe and proper disposal.
Since the first Take-Back event in Alabama, in September of 2010, the program continues to increase in the amount of drugs collected. Throughout all of Alabama’s previous DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back events, a total of about 66,805 pounds of unwanted, unused or expired drugs have been removed and disposed of safely.
“Prescription Drug Take-Back is a valuable public service that protects our children, our homes and our environment,” said Attorney General Marshall. “As a long-time prosecutor, I have too often witnessed the tragic results caused by the availability of dangerous controlled substances. When prescription drugs are left in our homes, children and teenagers may be poisoned or fall prey to drug abuse and addiction. Your old medications can be a lure to criminals looking for drugs to use or sell. On Saturday, October 27, please take the opportunity to remove these hazards by bringing prescription drugs that are out-of-date or no longer needed to collection sites for their safe and proper disposal.”
Law enforcement agencies and interested community partners such as pharmacies, schools and civic groups are working together to provide as many local sites as possible throughout Alabama. Each site will be supervised by a law enforcement officer due to the involvement of controlled substances.
Deliveries of drugs to DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Day events are confidential, with no personal information collected and no questions asked. Participants are encouraged to remove labels or black-out information beforehand.
Trussville residents will be able to participate as members of the Trussville Police Department will be on hand at city hall on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; prepared to receive unused/expired drugs and will make certain that they are disposed of properly.
This is a great opportunity to keep our community and citizens safe from the dangers posed by expired and unused drugs.