National Take Back Initiative

10/20/2011 | Sgt. Leanne Worthen, Public Affairs Unit

The Drug Enforcement Administration along with state and local law enforcement and community partners announce another nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft. The City of Yuma Police Department has agreed to take part in this initiative and will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction on Saturday, October 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last April, Americans turned in 376,593 pounds—188 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners. Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends—and the home medicine cabinet.

When:
Saturday, October 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m

Where:
Yuma Police Department
1500 S. 1st Avenue

• Pull into the Police Department’s parking lot and drop off your unwanted prescription drugs at the designated drop-off point.

Event details:

• The one day event is free of charge and open to everyone.
• The program is anonymous. You are encouraged to remove your personal information from the prescription labels.
• Participants may dispose of medication in its’ original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box.
• All expired or unwanted controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter medicines are accepted.
• Liquid products, such as cough syrup should remain sealed in their original plastic container.
• The following items are NOT accepted:
• Glass containers, Intra-venous solutions, injectibles, syringes, and illegal substances such as marijuana or methamphetamines.