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A Day They’ll Take Back Drugs You’re Not Taking, Vaping Devices You Don’t Want

For the first time, the Drug Enforcement Agency is also collecting vaping devices and cartridges

Published on Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 8:08 pm
 

A local nonprofit is partnering with the City of Pasadena for participation in a program through which people can safely dispose of prescription drugs they are no longer taking.

Local nonprofit Day One is teaming with the Pasadena Police Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency to bring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to Pasadena on Saturday, October 26.

It’s a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.

During the activity spearheaded by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), law enforcement agencies, in coordination with local public health offices and community organizations, designate a drop-off point where people with unused or expired drugs in can safely and anonymously dispose of them before they fall into the wrong hands.

Last October, during the 16th National Take Back Day, the DEA reported collecting over 900,000 pounds, or about 450 tons, of expired and unused drugs through about 5,800 collection sites throughout the U.S.

Data from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in 2018 shows that every year, prescription drug misuse is responsible for at least 400 deaths, over 9,000 visits to the emergency room, and 2,500 addiction treatment admissions in the county.

“As part of our prevention efforts here at Day One, and also part of a countywide effort where we’re trying to prevent prescription drug misuse, abuse, overdoses related to prescription medication, we’re partnering with law enforcement agencies, and this is our second year partnering with Pasadena police to support them in the collection day,” Catalina Gonzales, Day One Coordinator.

Day One has been working with students in Pasadena and throughout the San Gabriel Valley, and last year completed a countywide assessment which showed a large risk of expired drug misuse, especially among young people.

“It’s very common for students to get prescription medications for wisdom tooth removals or when they have a broken leg or a broken arm and it’s very common to see these medications even distributed on campus, sold online, sold through Instagram, things like that,” Gonzales said. “So we would educate anybody, whether it’s a grandparent or an adult who has medications at home, to supervise and store them in a safe place because they are accessible even to children and pets.”

Gonzales stressed they’re trying to encourage more people to bring their expired drugs to the Pasadena police station at Garfield, even when some people don’t feel comfortable having to drop off medicines at police stations.

“Right now, the only people who can collect narcotics are law enforcement,” Gonzales said.

Interested parties can go to the Day One website, or they can go to www.dea.gov and find a location near them. The group is going to be partnering with the police department in San Gabriel, and the sheriff’s department in Temple City.

On Saturday, you can drop off all unwanted, unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications at the headquarters of the Pasadena Police Department, at 207 Garfield Avenue. Before Saturday, you may need to check your medicine cabinets for any expired or unused prescription drugs, Day One said in an advisory.

“The Pasadena Police Department, Day One and other local public health and safety advocates kindly remind you NOT to keep unused prescription drugs at home, flush or throw them away in the trash or drain where they are a risk to you, to children, teens, pets, and the environment,” Day One said.

The Pasadena drop-off location, at the police department, will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday to collect all unwanted, unused or expired medicines, and vaping devices and cartridges.

For the first time, the DEA is collecting vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop off locations during the Take Back Day. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA advised individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium ion batteries.

For more information about National Take Back Day, visit www.takebackday.dea.gov/.

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