Be it antibiotics or pain medication, in the past, most people have disposed of their leftover pills in toilet, which can cause drinking water contamination and other environmental concerns.
Run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, National Prescription Take Back Day provides people with a safe, responsible and convenient way to turn in their drugs.
According to Michael Stepaniak, an environmental program coordinator for the PA Resources Council, they accept everything from prescription drugs to controlled substances. It is completely anonymous and no questions are asked.
At the six Prescription Take Back Days that have occurred so far, roughly 2.8 million pounds of materials have been collected. At last April’s event, 14,000 pounds were collected in the Pittsburgh Area alone according to Stepaniak. “There is an alarming amount of medications in people’s homes,” he says.
The 7th Annual National Prescription Take Back day takes place this Saturday, October 26th from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Pills can be dropped off at numerous police departments in the area and will be picked up and disposed of by a DEA agent. Drugs that are collected are cleanly and safely disposed of via hazardous waste incinerators.
