Local and federal law enforcement authorities are teaming up to help remove unneeded controlled substances from the community by sponsoring a prescription drug “takeback” in Hollister Oct. 27.
From 10am to 2pm Oct. 27, residents can bring their unused prescription drugs to Target, 1790 Airline Highway, where Hollister Police and Drug Enforcement Administration officers will safely dispose of the medications. Liquids must be contained in a tightly sealed container. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked, according to police.
The goal of the event is to remove “potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs” from local homes, according to a press release from Hollister police.
The Oct. 27 drug takeback will be the 16th such effort in eight years in Hollister, police said.
Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and its state and local law enforcement partners.
“This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” reads the Hollister Police press release. “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.”
Authorities further advise residents not to flush their unused prescription drugs down the toilet or throw them in the trash, as doing so could pose safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs, visit deadiversion.usdoj.gov.
