Local News Note

DEA National Drug Take Back Day

    On Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each law enforcement agency in Piscataquis County and Dexter and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its eighth opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

    Bring pills for disposal to the Greenville PD 7 Minden St. Greenville; Brownville PD 586 Main Rd. Brownville; Milo PD 6 Pleasant St. Milo; Dover-Foxcroft PD 182 East Main St. Dover-Foxcroft or the Dexter PD 1 Main St Dexter.
    The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
    Last October, Americans turned in 324 tons (over 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 4,114 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its seven previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 3.4 million pounds—more than 1,700 tons—of pills. 
    This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.
    Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
    Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.