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Auburn Police Department Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Contact:
Bob Karnofski, Assistant Police Chief
Auburn Police Department
253-804-3115

AUBURN, Wash. – October 25, 2011 – The Auburn Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. . Bring your medications for disposal to the Auburn Police Department lobby at 340 East Main St., Suite 201. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The Auburn Police Department has purchased a secure prescription medication drop box that has been installed in the lobby of the police department since April. Officials want to remind and encourage citizens to utilize this service on Oct. 29 and continue to take advantage of the drop box that is available to citizens permanently.

Items acceptable to be placed in the drop box:

Prescription medications
Over the counter medications
Medication samples
Medications for pets
Vitamins
Medicated ointments/lotions
Inhalers
Liquid Medication (in leak proof containers up to 12 oz)

Items NOT accepted:

Needles/syringes/lancets
Thermometers
IV bags
Bloody or infectious waste
Hydrogen peroxide
Empty Containers
Aerosol cans
Personal care products (non-medicated shampoo, etc.)

During the last take back event in Auburn in April, Auburn police collected almost 60 pounds of unwanted and expired prodcuts and last September, Americans turned in 242,000 pounds—121 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets 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 Auburn's drug take-back program, call the Auburn Police Department at 253-931-3080.

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City of Auburn Police Department
340 E. Main St.
Auburn, WA 98002
253-931-3080
www.auburnwa.gov/police