NEW ORLEANS –The NOPD is encouraging New Orleanians to clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of unwanted prescription drugs and medications on Saturday, April 30, 2016, for The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) “National Drug Take Back Day.”
The NOPD is setting up an official drop-off location at the Smoothie King Center Parking Lot #3, directly across from the main entrance to the arena. From 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., residents can dispose of unwanted, expired or unused prescription drugs with no questions asked.
“The Drug Take Back Day addresses some very important public safety and health issues,” said NOPD Superintendent Michael S. Harrison. “Prescription drug abuse, accidental poisonings and overdoses in the U.S. are at alarming rates. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family members, friends, and the home medicine cabinet. The Drug Take Back Day offers local residents an easy way to safely dispose of drugs anonymously and safely.”
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. In addition, many Americans don’t know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine – opting to flush them down the toilet or throw them away – which represent potential safety and health hazards.
Sponsored by the DEA and New Orleans Police Department, the one-day event will provide local residents with access to safe medicine drop-off locations to help reduce the increasing rates of accidental poisonings and prescription drug abuse while protecting the environment.
In September 2015, Americans turned in more 702,000 pounds of prescription drugs at the 5,000-plus sites operated by the DEA and its state and local law enforcement partners.
