National Drug Take Back Event April 28

On Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Medford Police Department, Board of Health and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are providing an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding your homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your medications for disposal to the National Take-Back Day at Medford City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds—188.5 tons—of prescription drugs at over 5,300 Take-Back event sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement partners. In its three previous Take-Back events, the DEA and its partners took in almost a million pounds—nearly 500 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public 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. Two people die from opioid overdoses everyday in Massachusetts (Mass Oxycontin Commission: Final Report, 2009).

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 by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Local law enforcement agencies like Medford Police Department and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.

For more information contact: Team Medford at TeamMedford02155@gmail.com or call Medford Board of Health at 781-393-2560.

– Submitted by Brooke Johns, Medford’s Drug Free Communities Coordinator