Who: Roosevelt County Prevention Coalition and Portales Police Department (RCPC & PPD)
What: Are hosting a community/countywide Drug Take Back Day
When: April 27, 2019, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: on the Square in Portales
How: Look for a tent with a banner, Portales PD vehicles
Why: To safely and discretely dispose of all unused or old Rx meds, other meds and sharps
How: Bring meds in plastic or paper sack to drop in bins; sharps bin is a separate container
National Prescription Drug
TAKE BACK DAY
■ Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.
■ Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
■ The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
■ The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends – and the home medicine cabinet.
■ Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
■ Take-back programs are the best way to dispose of old drugs. But if a program is not available: ‣Take the meds out of their bottles; ‣Mix them with something unappealing like used kitty litter or coffee grounds; ‣Seal them in a bag or disposable container, and throw that away.
■ For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to: ‣www.dea.gov ‣www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com ‣www.justthinktwice.com
