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On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Globe and Miami Police Departments along with the Copper Basin Coalition, Gila County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 14th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the drive up / walk up booth outside of Fry’s Food and Drug on Highway 60 in Globe. The DEA cannot accept liquids, sharps (needles), only pills or patches. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Used sharps, like syringes or lancets, can be disposed of at the Gila County Public Health Department in Globe. Limited supplies of sharps containers are currently available for the public if you are unable to obtain one.
Last April Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.
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—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 28 Take Back Day event, contact: Globe Police Department (928) 425-5751, Miami Police Department (928) 473-2466, Gila County Sheriff’s Office (928) 425-4449 or the Gila County Public Health Department (928) 402-8811.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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