Got Unwanted Drugs? Turn Them In Today

Unused and unwanted prescription drugs around the house are an invitation to misuse, abuse and pollution. Do not flush unwanted medication down the drain, where it can problems for aquatic life. Instead, bring your unwanted and unused pills to a special drop off event on Saturday, co-sponsored by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Today, from 10 AM to 2 PM, bring your medications for disposal to one of the following locations:

• Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (lobby), 2500 Alhambra Ave., Martinez.
• Office of the Sheriff Muir Station, 1980 Muir Road, Martinez (Field Operations Building).
• Office of the Sheriff Bay Station, 5555 Giant Highway, Richmond (West County Detention Facility).
• Danville Police Department, 510 La Gonda Way, Danville.
• Oakley Police Department, 3231 Main Street, Oakley.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions will be asked.

Last September, 244 tons of prescription drugs at over 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners were turned in by citizens. In its five previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2 million pounds of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish at home 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. 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—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information on the Take Back program, visit: www.dea.gov.