Testing It Up

April 28 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and Americans across the country are encouraged to scour their homes and get rid of all unused, expired, and unwanted prescription drugs, before these become a danger to your family and the environment.

Prescription drug take-back events are happening in several areas in America; in Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Rhode Island, there are designated spots that residents can go to and drop off unwanted drugs, so that these can be disposed of properly and safely. The program starts from 10 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, during which time anyone can drop off medicines that have been sitting in medicine cabinets and cupboards, no questions asked.

The event is part of the program set up by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in an effort to ensure that prescription medication does not fall into unauthorized hands and abused. It also ensures that these medicines are properly disposed of, instead of being haphazardly thrown away and polluting the environment.

West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw shared: “This initiative addresses an important public health and safety issue… Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse, and abuse.”

There are studies that indicate that in cases of prescription drug abuse, most of the drugs being abused are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. If anything, the home has become the most convenient and cheapest source of drugs.

Over the past couple of years, nearly 500 tons of drugs have been disposed through these take-back programs.

Residents of Hawaii can ensure that their homes are free from expired, unwanted, and unused prescription drugs that may be inadvertently swallowed by young children, or abused by teens, through prescription drug take-back efforts organized by the state government.

Attorney General David Louie, Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) Acting Administrator Derek Nakamura, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special-Agent-in-Charge Robin Dinlocker, are urging residents in the Aloha State to bring expired and unused prescription medications to various collection points that will be set up across the state.

Attorney General Louie shared: “Unused or expired prescription drugs pose serious health and safety risks for those in our state… This is the third take-back effort in which our department is involved.  I encourage everyone in the state to participate and bring in their unused or expired prescription drugs at the participating take-back locations.”

Acting Administrator Nakamura, on the other hand, shared that 70 percent of controlled substances that were turned in during previous take-back programs were narcotics or painkillers: “In all counties, narcotic/pain killers accounted for the highest percentages of controlled substances collected… This program allows people to safely dispose of their expired or unused medications.”

Hawaii’s prescription drug take-back program started Friday, and will run through the rest of September until October this year.

Several collection points have been set up in Oahu and Guam; collection points have also been set up in Kauai, Maui, Hawaii and Saipan. The specific locations of these collection points are indicated in the press release, featured on the website of the State of Hawaii.