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Press Release

U.S. Attorney And DEA Announce Take-Back Initiative To Safely Remove Prescription Pills From Local Homes

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky

Nearly 50 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 National Prescription Take-Back Day, will take place this Saturday, April 30, 2016 at nearly 50 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 with Kentuckiana residents dramatically reducing the risk of pain pill and other medication abuses by ridding their homes of thousands of 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 locations across Kentucky, and Southern Indiana, 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, or 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:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

Updated April 28, 2016

Topic
Community Outreach