Drug Take-Back event set for Saturday

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, located at 210 U.S. Highway 75 in Holton, is one of several law enforcement agencies throughout the state that will be collecting unused leftover medications on Saturday, April 28, it has been reported.

The collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. 

 Since the Drug Take-Back Day program began in 2010, more than 65 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas alone.

“Unused medications are dangerous for kids, pets and the environment,” Schmidt said. “Diversion of opioid painkillers, in particular, can contribute to the misuse of these drugs that has become a serious nationwide problem. Getting leftover medicines out of the medicine cabinets and safely destroyed keeps them from falling into the wrong hands and makes our communities safer.”

Medications will be accepted at drop-off sites across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. To find a location, visit www.ag.ks.gov.

The National Drug Take-Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse, Schmidt said. 

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates opioid overdoses kill 115 Americans every day. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, pharmaceutical opioids are a leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in Kansas. 

The CDC says the number of opioid prescriptions has quadrupled since 1999, despite Americans reporting a steady amount of pain.

Studies show 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 traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards and should be avoided.

Unused prescriptions can be turned in year-round at many local law enforcement locations. Kansans should contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for more information.