[LUFKIN, TX – April 16, 2018] – On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps – only pills or patches. Bring your pills for disposal to the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department at 2311 E Lufkin Ave, Lufkin, TX 75901. The drive-through service is free and anonymous.
In order to combat the overwhelming misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, Abeldt’s Pharmacy, Angelina Beautiful/Clean (AB/C), the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department and The Coalition are partnering together on this initiative to address a vital public safety and public health issue. Last fall, Americans turned in over 912,000 pounds of prescription drugs at more 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners have taken in over 9 million pounds – more than 4,500 tons – of pills.
According to a Mayo Clinic study, nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug. 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. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.
“As members of the community, pharmacists are in a prime position to ensure the safe and proper handling of medication, from dispensing to disposal,” said Buford Abeldt. “Unused or expired medications pose risks to our families, communities, and the environment. We welcome all in the community to come and talk to our pharmacists about their prescriptions and how to store, use and dispose of them properly.”
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. Medicines that are flushed down the toilet can end up polluting our waters, impacting aquatic species, or contaminating our food and water supplies. Because most wastewater treatment plants or septic systems are not designed to remove medicines, drugs may be discharged to rivers and bays or back into our homes and communities. In addition, medicines thrown in the trash can end up in landfills if not first picked up by children, pets, or anyone who rummages through trash. Although modern landfills are well-designed, safe, and handle standard household waste well, medicines are a special type of hazardous chemical that needs to be kept out of our solid waste system which can affect the decay composition, integrity of the landfill barrier or create hazardous landfill liquid that can affect groundwater.
According to Jennifer La Corte, AB/C Executive Director, “Just as we do not put used motor oil or leftover paint thinner in the trash, we should not dispose of extremely potent pharmaceutical chemicals into trash cans or down the toilet. This Drug Take Back event is an easy way to keep our community safe from opioid abuse and misuse and also keep our part of the East Texas environment clean from contamination.”
About Drug Enforcement Administration
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website.
About Angelina County Sheriff’s Office
The mission of Angelina County Sheriff’s Department is to provide a safe and secure community to the citizens of Angelina County. For more information, visit http://www.angelinacounty.net/sheriff/ or call 936-634-3332.
About Angelina Beautiful/Clean
Working in Angelina County since 1984, Angelina Beautiful/Clean (AB/C) has a mission to educate and empower East Texans to take responsibility for enhancing their community environment and serves Angelina County to help make it a cleaner, greener place to live, work and play. AB/C cultivates programs, services and education around litter reduction, recycling and beautification. It is an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. Angelina Beautiful/Clean is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations.
For more information about Angelina Beautiful/Clean, please contact Jennifer La Corte at 936-63CLEAN (936-632-5326), visit www.angelinabeautifulclean.org or follow on Facebook.
