U.S. Department
of Justice
U.S. Attorney And Dea Announce Take-Back Initiative To Safely Remove Prescription Pills From Local Homes
Fifty-five locations this Saturday where Kentuckiana residents can safely and anonymously rid their homes of unwanted and expired medications
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentuckiana residents have an opportunity this Saturday to safely and anonymously rid their homes of unused, unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription medications, today announced U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Gorman. The 10th National Prescription Take-Back Day, held during the past five years, will take place this Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 55 locations across Kentuckiana. During this one-day event, federal and local law enforcement will once again partner to increase awareness of prescription drug abuse and provide an opportunity to reduce the availability of prescription pain medications in local homes.
U.S. Attorney Kuhn and ASAC Gorman are encouraging families to clean out medicine cabinets and safely rid their homes of unwanted and expired prescription medications. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, abuse and theft. Studies show that two-thirds of all teenagers who abuse prescription narcotics first obtain the drugs from family and friends; often from their home medicine cabinet.
Further, many Americans are unsure of how to properly dispose of their unused medications and often flush them down the toilet or throw them away. This poses safety and environmental hazards.
USA Kuhn and ASAC Gorman also stated that the Take-Back is a great opportunity to begin a dialogue with children to educate them on the dangers of obtaining pharmaceuticals for illicit use.
Prior DEA Prescription Take-Backs have been extremely successful. Last year, Kentuckiana residents dramatically reduced the risk of pain pill and other medication abuses by ridding their homes of 80,073 pounds of unused prescription medications. Kentucky remains among the nation’s most medicated states.
The Prescription Drug Take-Back is part of a nationwide effort sponsored by the DEA. Containers where unwanted and expired prescription medications may be safely disposed will be at 55 locations across Kentucky, on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A complete list of locations and the assisting law enforcement agency may be found in the attachment, at www.dea.gov or by calling 800-882-9539.
More information on how to properly dispose of unused medicines can be found on the Food & Drug Administration website:
