Gwinnett Daily Post

This Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.

More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

In an effort to address this problem, DEA in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States conducted National Prescription Drug Take Back Days on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 and April 25, 2011. The purpose of the National Take Back Days was to provide a venue for persons who wanted to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. This effort was a huge success in removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from our nation’s medicine cabinets.

Nearly, 4,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation participated in these events, collecting more than 309 tons of pills.

Due to the overwhelming success, the DEA has scheduled the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of them.

Collection Sites in Gwinnett County are:

• City of Suwanee Police Department 373 Buford Highway, Suwanee

• Lawrenceville Police Department, 300 Jackson Street, Lawrenceville

• Gwinnett Co. Sheriff’s Department, 2900 University Parkway, Lawrenceville

To find other collection sites, check out the following link:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html