Time to Clean Out the Medicine Cabinet

Local Drop-Off Sites for Getting Rid of Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Hartford, CT – State Senator Tony Guglielmo (R-Stafford) ranking member of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee is encouraging residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and take unwanted prescription drugs to local drop off sites on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

“This event provides a safe, convenient, and responsible way for families to dispose of prescription drugs, the public is also educated about the potential for abuse of medications,” said Sen. Guglielmo. “Sadly, in the town of Willington two families lost their young sons to prescription drug abuse. We need to begin hard conversations about how to deal with this new reality.”

On April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the following locations will accept the unwanted prescription drugs:

• Riverview Marketplace Pavilion Kennedy Drive • Putnam, CT 06260
• Stafford Police Department 2 Main Street • Stafford Springs, CT 06076
• CSP Troop C Ellington RTO 33 Arbor Way • Ellington, CT 06029
• Questions can also be made to the DEA customer service center at 1-800-882-9539

Bring:

• Expired or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins and veterinary medications
• Personal, family member or pet medications
• Medications that are no longer used
• Medications from deceased family member
• Unknown tablets or capsules

Do NOT Bring:

• Thermometers
• Needles
• Medical Waste of any type

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its eighth opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.)

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, Americans turned in 324 tons (over 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 4,114 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its seven previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 3.4 million pounds—more than 1,700 tons—of pills.

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, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.