October 27, 2017 Beaumont, Texas – Acting United States Attorney Brit Featherston will join the Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy on October 28th for its 14th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thousands of collection sites around the county, including the Eastern District of Texas. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
"The Drug Take Back Program helps protect the most innocent of the unfortunate victims of opioid mishandling," said Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. "Ridding our household of old and un-needed prescription drugs is an easy and basic step to preventing the accidental or intentional misuse of these drugs in the home....so let's do our part!"
Last April Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds- more than 4,050 tons – of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
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. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin. Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go to the Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
Nearest locations to Shelby County area are:
- Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office, 2306 Douglass Highway, Nacogdoches, Texas 75964
- Jasper Police Department, 555 S. Main Street, Jasper, Texas 75951
- Lufkin Police Department, 300 East Shepherd Drive, Lufkin, Texas 75901
- Caddo Parrish Sheriff's Office (Collection site: Sheriff's Safety Twon), 8910 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana 71118
- Henderson PD (Collection site: Henderson Fire Department #2), 612 Hwy 79 N, Henderson, Texas 75652
