Saturday is Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Times-Tribune staff
Prescription drug take-backs will be held this Saturday at two locations locally.
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland will be a host site for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This will offer the community a safe disposal of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
In addition, local resources with St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chestnut Health Systems, Metro East Recovery Council, Bond County Recovery Council and Gateway Foundation will offer the following during the event:
*Information on Senior Renewal Services
*NARCAN Education and Giveaway
*Drug/Alcohol Treatment Information
*Family Resources
Weather permitting, the event will be outside on the hospital’s campus at 12866 Troxler Ave., Highland. If it is raining, the event will be moved inside to the hospital’s Sullivan Conference Room.
Madison County’s law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will operate a drop-off site for Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, in Edwardsville.
Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine, Sheriff Jeff Connor and Coroner Steve Nonn will be operating the drop-off site in coordination with the DEA.
The drop-off site, open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be in the Madison County Administration Building’s back parking lot on Second Street in Edwardsville: Madison County Administration Building, 157 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025.
Haine said the event is “a convenient way for local residents to help fight the overdose epidemic and save lives.”
Connor added, “I strongly encourage local residents to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a way to dispose of unneeded medicines in a manner that is healthy and safe.”
Nonn said, “Many of the tragic overdose deaths we see could have been averted if unneeded prescription drugs had been disposed of properly.”
The Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides an easy, no-cost opportunity to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to abuse and theft.
The majority of opioid addictions start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
Items that can be accepted at the event include:
*Prescription medication including controlled substances o Over-the-counter medications
*Vitamins
Items that cannot be accepted include:
*Any illicit drugs. (These substances can be turned over to a police department at any time.)
*Sharp objects, including needles, auto-injectors, etc. Please check with your waste disposal company to learn their procedures for the safe disposal of these items.
*Liquids not secured in a leak-proof container.
*Biohazardous materials.
*Glass objects, including thermometers or other medical devices.
*Aerosols, including inhalers.
Since 2010, DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has collected nearly 16 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 107,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose last year. This figure means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug overdose every 5 minutes.
