Clean Out Your Medicine Drawer; Circle April 28 on Your Calendar
Immediate Release
January 23, 2012
Batavia, Ohio. Safely get rid of outdated and unwanted medications that have accumulated at your house during the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, set for Saturday, April 28, 2012. Details and collection sites will be announced in March. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office reports over 300 pounds of old medications, primarily pain medicine, was collected at sites throughout the county during the October 2011 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, sponsored by the Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency. Across the Cincinnati area, an estimated 4,000 pounds of drugs were turned into law enforcement during the October event; nationally, 188.5 tons of old medications were collected. “Events like the Drug Take Back Day gets these types of medications out of medicine cabinets and away from possible misuse by others,” said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg.
In 2010, 49 Clermont County citizens lost their lives to prescription drug overdoses; the Coalition for a Drug Free Clermont County indicates a first step in prevention is to safely remove unwanted and unused medications from circulation. According to the 2010 Pride Student Drug Use Survey, six percent of students in grades 6 through 12 in the greater Cincinnati region reported abusing prescription drugs. “An estimated two-thirds of youth between the ages of 12 and 17, who have abused pain relievers, say they got them from their friends or relatives, often without their knowledge,” said Director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County Heidi Nykolayko. “Safely disposing of unused or unwanted medications is a critical step in protecting youth by decreasing access to the drugs.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages citizens to take old, outdated medications out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash. The FDA also recommends putting the materials in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag. The agency also stresses that before disposing of medication, all identifying information on the prescription label should be scratched out, to make it unreadable. This will help protect your identity and the privacy of your personal health information.
For more information about local drop-off locations for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28, 2012, visit the Drug Enforcement Agency website at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html; that site will be updated as the event gets closer and sites are secured. To contact the Coalition for a Drug Free Clermont County, call 735-8159.
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For additional information about this or other county news, contact Clermont County Communications Director Kathy Lehr at (513) 732-7597 or by e-mail, klehr@ clermontcountyohio.gov.