What: Prescription drug take-back
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Wilton and Livermore Falls police stations
WILTON — Local police and Livermore Falls police will join other agencies in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their respective stations.
An officer will accept unused or expired prescription medications for proper disposal, Wilton police Chief Heidi Wilcox said.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 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 Services 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 home medicine cabinets.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, along with nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, participated in similar drug take-back days in the fall of 2010 and this past April when more than 309 tons of pills were collected, according to information provided by the DEA.
Four days after last fall’s Take-Back Day, Congress passed legislation amending the Controlled Substances Act to allow the DEA to develop a process for people to safely dispose of their prescription drugs. DEA immediately began developing this process after President Obama signed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of 2010 on Oct. 12. Until that process is complete, however, DEA will continue to hold Take Back Days every six months.
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