DETROIT (WWJ) – It’s an effort to take unused prescription drugs off the streets and keep them from ending up with the wrong hands – National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The annual event, taking place on Saturday, April 30, is not only an effort to protect the community, but also the environment.
Doreen Turk-White, Executive Director of the non-profit Empowerment Zone Coalition of Detroit, says properly disposing of narcotics can prevent serious environmental damage and help save lives.
“The more we can take unwanted drugs of the streets, that reduces the harm and the risks,” she said live on WWJ Sunday morning.
She says if drugs aren’t taken care of properly, they can end up in landfills or even polluting the water supply.
The Drug Enforcement Agency says the take-back program is helping to fight the drug overdose epidemic in the U.S., which is a "clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat."
"DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting," the DEA website says.
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Anyone who has unused and unwanted medication can drop it off at any Detroit Police Department precinct, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. A list of precinct locations is available below.
You can also return any unneeded medicines to the Samaritan Wellness Center, which is located on Conner, near Warren on the city’s east side.
To find a drop-off location near you, visit dea.gov/takebackday.
