Attorney General Terry Goddard, along with state and local law enforcement officials, today announced the first-ever prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative aimed at preventing pill abuse and theft.
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at sites around the state, local law enforcement will be collecting potentially dangerous unused and unwanted or expired prescription drugs for destruction. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/NTBI/NTBI-PUB.do?_flowId=public-flow
“This is a very important and serious collaborative effort with our state and local partners to eliminate a growing trend in the abuse of prescription drugs,” Goddard said. “Some children as young as eighth graders are taking prescription drugs found in medicine cabinets and using them to get high. The ‘Take-Back’ initiative provides a safe, legal and environmentally sensitive way to dispose of unused medications around the home.”
According to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time. They’re accessing these drugs in the comfort of home; it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer or medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicines, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away, which are potential safety and health hazards.
This initiative is available to all Arizona residents to properly dispose of their unused, unneeded and expired medicine. The location of collection sites in every community can be found by going tohttp://www.azag.gov/rx/ Other participants in this initiative include state and local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Arizona Chapter.
https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/NTBI/NTBI-PUB.do?_flowId=public-flow
