Ninth and final drug prescription drug take back day this Saturday

Press Release

This Saturday, September 27, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and almost 4,000 of its national, tribal, and community law enforcement partners will hold the ninth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Americans can take their expired, unneeded, or unwanted prescription drugs to one of over 5,200 collection sites across the country between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
 

Local drug take back agencies and locations include:

Pembroke Town Hall Rt. 5 at Rt. 77 Pembroke, NY – received by Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies

Batavia Police Department Headquarters, 10 W. Main St. Batavia, NY – received by Batavia Police Officers

LeRoy Police Department Headquarters, 3 W. Main St. LeRoy, NY – received by LeRoy Police Officers
 

Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites—liquids and needles or other sharps will not be accepted.

Unused medications in homes create a public health and safety concern, because they can be accidentally ingested, stolen, misused, and abused.

While the number of Americans who currently abuse prescription drugs dropped in 2013 to 6.5 million from 6.8 million in 2012, that is still more than double the number of those using heroin, cocaine, and hallucinogens like LSD and Ecstasy combined, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

In addition, 22,134 Americans died in 2011 from overdoses of prescription medications, including 16,651 from narcotic painkillers, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.