Ditch Your Doses at the Police Station on October 22nd
Ditch Your Doses at the Police Station on October 22nd
The Cedar Rapids Police Department, in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration, will host a prescription drug drop-off event at the Police Station, 505 1st Street SW, on Saturday, October 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the front lobby. Citizens may bring in their unused prescription medications, which will be collected and properly disposed of. This event is part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which 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 Police Department also has a drug disposal box located in the vestibule of the Police Station. The drug disposal box allows the public a convenient means of disposing unused medications throughout the year. Using the drug disposal box at the Police Station helps protect the quality of our water and can prevent prescription drug misuse and abuse. Traditional methods for disposing of unused medications such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can pose threats to our groundwater. Additionally, leftover medications are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
At the prescription drop-off event held on April 30th at the Cedar Rapids Police Department, there was 468 pounds of medication collected. Nationwide, since September 2010, there have been 6,463,528 pounds of medications that have been collected. This is the equivalent to the weight of approximately 5 Airbus A380’s.
For additional drop-off site locations visit: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html
Liquids and needles or sharps cannot be collected at this event. All medications in pill or patch form are accepted free and anonymously with no questions asked.
