Police Hope to Curb Prescription Pill Abuse, Theft With Drug Take-Back Day

Want to do your part to prevent prescription pill abuse and theft?

The is making it easy for you. It's hosting another drug take-back day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 29.

North Canton police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have teamed up to take off your hands those potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

Just bring your medications for disposal to the North Canton City Hall at 145 N. Main St. Go in the rear lobby doors. Officers will be there to accept the unwanted prescription drugs.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, Americans turned in 552,161 pounds — 276 tons — of prescription drugs at more than 5,600 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,300 state and local law enforcement partners. In its four previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners took in more than 1.5 million pounds — nearly 775 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, according to a news release from the North Canton Police Department.

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.

Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them.

The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like [agency] and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.