Bolinsky: Rx Take-Back Day is 9/26
NEWTOWN- State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) is encouraging Newtown residents to participate in the 10th annual Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) prescription drug take-back campaign cosponsored by the Newtown Police Department to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medications.
National Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, September 26th from 10:00am-2:00pm. The collection site will be in the lobby of the Newtown Police Department, 3 Main Street.
Reports indicate that 20% of teens intentionally misuse someone else’s prescription drugs to get high, and many obtain the drugs from raiding the medicine cabinets of friends and relatives. In other cases children and pets have gotten into medications that have caused long-term health problems and death.
The improper disposal of pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs has also been reported to negatively impact the environment and public health, as some drugs cannot be safely flushed or poured down drains because wastewater facilities are not designed to remove them. In some cases drugs can find their way into lakes, rivers and streams and into drinking water.
Please note that only prescription medications will be accepted at the collections – needles and syringes will not be accepted.
For more information on the national drug take-back program, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov