The Kentucky State Police is partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27th to encourage citizens to remove potentially dangerous medicines from their homes and dispose of them safely.
KSP Commissioner Rick Sanders says that National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and health issue by providing a convenient way for citizens to help prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. He adds that too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, which can be dangerous and often tragic. This event gives people the opportunity to turn in their prescription drugs safely and anonymously.
According to a release from KSP collection activities will take place from 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturday at 16 locations throughout the state, locally they will be held at KSP Post 1 at 8366 State Route 45 North Hickory and KSP Post 2 at 1000 Western Kentucky Parkway in Nortonville.
Commissioner Sanders notes that leftover or expired drugs can be harmful in a variety of ways and out-of-date medications can degrade and even lose their effectiveness. He states that not only can they create environmental pollution to water supplies if disposed of improperly, but they can also be accidentally ingested by children or stolen, misused and abused.
According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs in 2017 alone. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Commissioner Sanders suggests that cleaning out old prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and bedside tables can help reduce the diversion, misuse, and abuse of these substances, including opioid painkillers. He expresses, “When in doubt, throw it out”.
The release from KSP states that in 2018, citizens across the U.S. safely disposed of nearly 930 tons of unneeded medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The release goes on to say that since the inception of the program in 2003, Kentucky has collected 135,143 pounds of unwanted/unused prescription drugs.
KSP spokesperson Sgt. Josh Lawson advises that the program is designed to be easy for citizens and offered the following tips for those interested in participating: Participants may dispose of medication in its original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box located at the drop off location. All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers will be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in original containers. The depositor should also ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Intravenous solutions, injectables, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.
For more information about the Take Back program, you can contact KSP at 502-782-1780 or visit the DEA website at takebackday.gov.
(Story By Audrey Lamb/WPKY)
