Police: What is the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day?

Twice a year, the Drug Enforcement Agency, along with law enforcement agencies in all 50 states and U.S. territories, including the Sandy Springs Police Department, host the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. 
The next one will take place on Saturday, September 29th, from 10 a.m. – 2:00 pm.

Our collection site will be in front of the Sandy Springs Police Department, 7840 Roswell Road, Suite 301, in the Morgan Falls Business Park, just south of the QT.

The idea for this event is to collect, with no questions asked, expired, unused, unwanted or unlabeled prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications.  By doing this, we are keeping this stuff out of the garbage and medicine cabinets and
out of the hands of kids and pets. 

A very interesting point I read is that trace elements of these medications is
being found in our water supply because of people flushing them down the
toilet.  Also, when we throw these medications in the garbage, they end up in a dump and slowly, over time; they find their way back into our water supply.

So, what happens at 2:01 p.m., Saturday? We seal up the boxes that the DEA provided for us. We weigh the boxes and a DEA representative will come by to get the weigh in numbers and then takes the boxes to their Atlanta Office.  Soon afterwards, the boxes of pharmaceuticals are incinerated.

The last DEA National Take Back Day was on April 28th and collected a record 552,161 pounds from over 5,600 take-back site

To find other local collection sites call 1-800-882-9539 or go to Take-Back Collection Sites.

I will be working at the Sandy Springs Police Take-Back location, so please come by and say hi.

Officer Larry Jacobs is the Crime Prevention Officer for the Sandy Springs Police Department. He can be reached directly at ljacobs@sandyspringsga.gov.