TAKE BACK UNWANTED MEDICATIONS

Description

On Saturday, April 27, the Yates County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your over-the-counter, pet, and prescription medication for disposal at the rear of the Yates County Courthouse at 415 Liberty Street, Penn Yan. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

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.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen 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 environmental, safety, and health hazards. 
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 27^th Take Back Day event, go towww.DEATakeBack.com or contact Sheriff’s Office at 315-536-4438 or email sheriff@yatescounty.org.