The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in an effort to prevent pill abuse and theft, will host an event for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Community members will have an opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired and unwanted prescription drugs on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, 780 N. San Vicente Blvd. south of Santa Monica. The Take-Back Day event will accept pills and patches, but cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps. Disposal is free and anonymous.
In addition to this special collection event, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station parking lot features drop-off boxes available year-round — members of the public can dispose of used needles or sharps, expired/unused medications and illegal drugs. The drop-off boxes look like mailboxes but are painted white. Disposal in the drop-off boxes is also free and anonymous.
Unused medicines can contribute to prescription drug abuse, accidental poisonings and overdoses. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Flushing medicines down the toilet or throwing them in the trash poses potential safety, health and environmental hazards.
For additional information about the event or about year-round drop-off boxes, please contact the West Hollywood Sheriff Station at (310) 855-8850. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
They should always have this program in place to accept unwanted or expired prescription drugs, not only do to the problems of improper disposal finding its way into our ecosystem but, do consider that legal prescription drugs are causing more problems than all of the illegal ones. Prescription drugs are now more widely abused and deadlier than illegal street drugs! Opioids are usually prescribed for pain relief. Commonly prescribed opioids include hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin®), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin®), morphine, fentanyl, and codeine. In the United States, more people now die from opioid painkiller overdoses than from heroin and cocaine combined. A… Read more »