On April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Newport Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration 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.
Bring medications for disposal to the OASIS Senior Center at 800 Narcissus Avenue. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps; only pills and patches will be accepted. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked, NBPD noted in a press release.
Last September, Americans turned in 350 tons (over 702,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,000 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners, according to authorities.
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, police explained. 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, the statement notes.
For more information, visit dea.gov.
