County Police Participate in DEA Nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day

[Howard Hartman]

	DEPARTMENT OF POLICE MEDIA SERVICES DIVISION 2350 RESEARCH BOULEVARD ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850-3294
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2012	FOR MORE INFORMATION:                         Media Services Division, 240-773-5030

Montgomery County Police Participate in
DEA Nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is working with local law enforcement agencies, government, and public health organizations across the country to present its program, “Prescription Drug Take Back Day.” This event is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. The initiative, which began in September of 2010, is part of an effort to prevent the increasing problems of pill abuse and theft that occur nationwide.

Police Chief J. Thomas Manger has designated each of the County’s six Police District Stations and Police Headquarters as DEA Prescription Drug Take Back locations for this Drug Take Back Day. Each of these locations will accept expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. Illicit drugs and needles cannot be accepted as a part of this program.

A collection box will be available for parking lot drop-off if weather permits. If there is inclement weather the drop-off will take place in the lobby of each station. The locations are:

• 1st District: 1451 Seven Locks Rd., Rockville
• 2nd District: 7359 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda
• 3rd District: 801 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring
• 4th District: 2300 Randolph Rd., Wheaton
• 5th District: 20000 Aircraft Dr., Germantown
• 6th District: 45 West Watkins Mill Rd., Gaithersburg
• Headquarters: 2350 Research Blvd., Rockville

The DEA is particularly interested in medications containing controlled substances, but will accept any prescription medicines brought for disposal. All sites will take pills of all kinds. If possible, prescription labels should be removed or personal information should be blacked out; but pill bottles will still be accepted if the labels are attached. No questions will be asked. This is an opportunity to safely clean out a medicine cabinet of drugs that are no longer needed.

All the medications returned on Drug Take Back Day will be incinerated by the DEA according to federal and state environmental guidelines.

For additional ways of disposing old medications safely and legally

Go to this site

[Howard Hartman]

	City of Takoma Park Police Department 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2012	Public Information Office              301/891.7142 or 240/338.2901

Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28th

The Takoma Park Police Department will once again participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This campaign gives the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your prescriptions to the Takoma Park Police Department, 7500 Maple Avenue. This event is being held the same day as another community event, "Gear Up Takoma." Collection boxes will be set up at the event in the rear parking lot of the community center.

Prescription, over-the-counter and pet medications will be accepted. The service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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 – more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin combined, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

The overwhelming public response to DEA’s nationwide Take-Back events not only rid homes of potentially harmful prescription drugs, but is an unprecedented opportunity to educate everyone about the growing prescription drug abuse problem. “Studies have shown that, for many, prescription drugs are the very first drugs they abuse – and all too often they aren’t the last. That is why we are committed to helping Americans keep their homes safe by ridding their medicine cabinets of expired, unused and unwanted drugs," says DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart.

“I encourage every American to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to safely dispose of unused, un-needed, or expired prescription drugs,” said Gil Kerlikowkse, Director of National Drug Control Policy. “Preventing these readily available and potentially deadly drugs from being diverted and misused is something each and every one of us can do to help reduce the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is harming so many Americans.”

The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting www.dea.gov, clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and following the links to a database, where they enter their zip code.

Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA has begun drafting regulations to implement the Act.

Other participants in this initiative include the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the American Association of Poison Control Centers; the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America; D.A.R.E. America; the Federation of State Medical Boards; the U. S. Health Resources and Services Administration; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Association of Attorneys General; the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy; the National District Attorneys Association; the National Sheriffs Association; and the Partnership@drugfree.org.

[Howard Hartman]

Rockville City Police    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  •  April 25, 2012

Rockville City Police to Participate
in National Take-Back Initiative

Turn in Unused or Expired Medication on April 28

Rockville, Md., April 25, 2012 - The Rockville City Police Department, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will participate Saturday, April 28, in the National Take-Back Initiative, which is aimed at preventing increased pill abuse and theft.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rockville City Police will collect expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs for disposal. The medications will be collected at the Rockville City Police Station, 111 Maryland Ave. The service is free and anonymous.

"We hope the community will take advantage of this opportunity," said Rockville Police Chief Terry Treschuk. "By turning in all unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs, residents can help ensure that the medicines will be disposed of properly. It is also a good way to clean out your medicine cabinets."

This is the fourth National Take-Back Day. The campaign provides a safe way for people to dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs and will help to stop the rise in addiction to prescription medications.

To learn more about the initiative, go to www.dea.gov. For more information on the April 28 collection, call Rockville City Police Cpl. Ken Matney at 240-314-8922.