Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is partnering with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in a nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day tomorrow, Apr. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

The program allows members of the public to drop off potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at sheriff’s stations throughout Riverside County. The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.

The nearest drop off locations for Canyon Lake residents are as follows:

• Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, 333 Limited Ave., Lake Elsinore
• Southwest Sheriff’s Station, 30755 Auld Rd., Murrieta
• Perris Sheriff’s Station, 137 N. Perris Blvd., Perris

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Prescription drugs are a common cause of accidental poisonings in children. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Additionally, many Americans are not aware of how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

The Drug Enforcement Administration first launched the program in 2010. Last fall’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day event collected 912,305 pounds of prescription drugs.

More information, visit deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback.