DEA program promotes safe disposal of unwanted prescription meds
Got some unneeded prescription drugs lying around the house? Saturday, Sept. 25, is the first-ever National Prescription Drug Take-Back event aimed at preventing the abuse and theft of prescription medications.The Drug Enforcement Administration—in partnership with public health and law enforcement organizations—will be collecting and safely destroying potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs at sites around the nation, including several close to Annandale. You can bring your meds to these sites, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.:
- City of Falls Church Fire Station #6 parking lot, 6950 Little Falls Road, Falls Church.
- Virginia State Police Division Seven Headquarters, 9801 Braddock Road, Fairfax.
- Town of Vienna Police Headquarters, 215 Center St. South, Vienna.
The service is free and anonymous. Only solid prescription and over-the-counter medications will be acceptable, such as tablets and capsules. Intravenous solutions, injectable medications, needles, and illicit substances, such as marijuana and methamphetamine, will not be accepted.
“Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse,” the DEA states. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.” Flushing the pills down the toilet or throwing them away are potential safety and health hazards, the DEA notes.
