National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Got Drugs? image

To:      All Media Partners

From:  Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Officer

Date:   April 21, 2014

RE:      National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event

Got drugs? Are you looking to get rid of unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications? Unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications can be dangerous to our family, friends, children, and communities if they fall into the wrong hands.

On Saturday, April 26th, 2014, from 10:00am – 2:00pm, the Mono County District Attorney’s Office, with support of local law enforcement, asks you to participate in the Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event, in accordance with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Taker-Back Initiative. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Prescription drug abuse is on the rise as well as the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to the misuse of these medications. Studies indicate that a majority of abused prescription medications are obtained from family members and friends, right from the home medicine cabinet. Other studies are indicating that the usual methods for disposing of unwanted, unused and expired medications (such as flushing down the toilet or throwing away in the trash) pose potential environmental safety and health hazards.

Across Mono County, residents and visitors will have an opportunity to get rid of their potentially dangerous, unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications and help prevent prescription drug abuse. Simply remove all personal information from any packaging, or dump all medications into one Ziploc-type baggie, and bring them to one of the four (4) collection sites:

Walker General Store (106651 Hwy 395 – Coleville)

Bridgeport Fire Department (309 Main St – Bridgeport)

June Lake Fire Department (2380 Hwy 158 – June Lake)

Vons (481 Old Mammoth Road – Mammoth Lakes)

This take-back event is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Please help in preventing prescription drug abuse by getting rid of your unwanted, unused and expired medications on Saturday, April 26th!