Safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs

DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

The Seal Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host a Drug Take Back day on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Residents can prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring pills for disposal to the front gate of Leisure World. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

People can scratch out identifying information on the prescription drug label to make it unreadable. This will help to protect personal health information.

People must not share prescription drugs.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.

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— pose potential safety and health hazards.

Visit the DEA’s website at www.deatakeback. com or call (800) 882-9539 for more information and to find an authorized collection center in your community.

The site also provides valuable information about DEA’s National Take-Back Initiative.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back Day event, visit https://takebackday. —from the SB Police Department