Our County D. Gary Davis County Mayor “Properly Disposing of Prescription Drugs” Wednesday April 28, 2021 With opioid overdose deaths increasing during the pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration held its 20th Take Back Day this past Saturday April 24th. At its last Take Back Day in October, DEA collected a record-high amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 500 tons of unwanted drugs. The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office participated in this year’s event, and reporting 214 pounds of unused/expired prescription medication was collected. Over the 10-year span of Take Back Day, the DEA has brought in more than 6,800 tons of prescription drugs. With studies indicating a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets, clearing out unused medicine is essential. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 83,544 Americans overdosing during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2020, the most ever recorded in a 12-month period. The increase in drug overdose deaths appeared to begin prior to the COVID-19 health emergency, but accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic. The public can drop off potentially dangerous prescription medications year round at a collection site inside the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. Simply stop by the Criminal Investigations Division entrance where you’ll find a collection box to safely dispose of unwanted or unneeded medication. When a take back option is not easily available, there are two ways to dispose of medicines at home, depending on the drug. Flushing medicines: Because some medicines could be especially harmful to others, they have specific directions to immediately flush them down the sink or toilet when they are no longer needed, and a take-back option is not readily available. How will you know? Check the label or the patient information leaflet with your medicine. Or consult the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing when a take back option is not readily available. Remember, don’t flush your medicine unless it is on the flush list. Disposing medicines in household trash: If a take back program is not available, almost all medicines, except those on the FDA flush list can be thrown into your household trash. These include prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams. Follow these steps: Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. This makes the medicine less appealing to children and pets and unrecognizable to someone who might intentionally go through the trash looking for drugs. Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out. Throw the container in the garbage. Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away. Whether disposing at home, or utilizing the collection site at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, these are simple and effective ways to protect family, friends, and loved ones. Let’s all do our part to help stem the tide of the opioid crisis in our community. .