This Saturday community members are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and safely dispose of any unnecessary or expired prescription drugs as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office is participating in the nationwide initiative and will be hosting a collection at the Humboldt County Detention Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sheriff Ed Kilgore said it's a good, safe way to dispose of those drugs.
"It's a good way to clean out the medicine cabinet so prescription medications don't get into the wrong hands or the hands of children," he said.
Kilgore said all prescription medications other than liquids will be accepted, no questions asked.
The Winnemucca Police Department also has a fixed drop-box that is available for prescription medication disposal year-round. Kilgore said the sheriff's office is planning on acquiring one as well.
National Prescription Drug Take-back Day is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The day gives people the opportunity to "prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs," according to a DEA news release.
This Saturday marks the DEA's eighth drug take-back day in three years.
According to a TRICARE news release, a 2011 national drug use survey found Americans are twice as likely to regularly abuse prescription drugs as opposed to illegal drugs like cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and inhalants combined.
According to the DEA, more than 324 tons (over 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs were disposed of at the DEA's last take-back day in October. More than 3.4 million pounds of unused medication have been collected in the DEA's seven previous take-back days.
The take-back initiative addresses a public safety and public health concern, according to the DEA, which says that rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are "alarmingly high."
The DEA cited a study which shows that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from friends and family.
Any community members who have prescription medications that need to be disposed of are encouraged to stop by the front entrance of the detention center this Saturday to properly rid their households of those medications in a safe, free and anonymous way.
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