Take Back Day Event is an opportunity for the public to safely rid their homes of unused, unwanted, expired and potentially dangerous prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for safe disposal to the south parking area of Hy-Vee at 3140 E. Agency in Burlington to this free and anonymous event scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has teamed up with the Burlington Police Department, Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Des Moines County Public Health Department and the HazChem Center/DMC Regional Waste Commission to put on this Take Back Day Event.
The Des Moines County Public Health Department will also be taking sharps in a sealed sharps containers and will be handing out new red sharps containers, and the HazChem Center/DMC Regional Waste Commission will be accepting old glass mercury thermometers in exchange for new digital thermometers.
Since the Take Back Day event started five years ago, the DEA and its partners have taken in over 4.8 million pounds, that’s more than 2,400 tons of pills.
The DEA states that, this initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that lanquish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. The DEA also reports that the rates of prescription drug abuse in the US are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Americans are now advised that their usual methods of disposing of unused medicines like flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose both safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the September 26th, Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Office of Deversion Control site or contact Detective Rob Rohrer with the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force (319) 754-7460
