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Stay Diligent: Help Stop Druge Abuse by Disposing of Your Meds Correctly
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By Danville Police Department
Prescription Drug Abuse is on the rise. Help curb access by safely disposing of medication.
Misuse of prescription drugs has several different meanings. It could mean taking the medication in a way or a dose other than prescribed. It could be taking someone else’s prescription, even for a legitimate medical reason. Or it could be taking medication to get high. In any case, misusing medication is not only illegal, but can be very dangerous or even fatal.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most common medications misused include opioids (usually prescribed to treat pain), central nervous system depressants (often prescribed for anxiety or sleep disorders) and stimulants (prescribed to treat ADHD).
Over the past 15 years, local emergency rooms have reported an influx in ER visits and overdose deaths caused by prescription drug abuse. Also, admission to treatment centers for addiction to prescription drugs has been steadily on the rise during that same time period. (National Institute on Drug Abuse).
While there is much debate on what can be done to help prevent prescription drug misuse and who is ultimately responsible for making changes, one easy thing that you can do to protect your loved ones is properly dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications.
The Danville Police Department has a permanent medication disposal box that can be accessed during business hours, Monday- Friday 8:30-5:00 P.M. Pills must be emptied into plastic bags (we cannot take pill containers). Liquids can be left in original containers but must also be secured in a ziplock bag. We also have a sharps disposal box for needle disposals. All needles must be secured in a hard plastic container before being placed in the disposal box.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Danville Police Department at 925-314-3700.
