MOHAVE COUNTY – On April 24th, between 10am and 2pm, the Kingman Police Department (KPD), Lake Havasu City Police Department (LHCPD) and Bullhead City Police Department (BHCPD) will host the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. KPD, LHCPD and BHCPD, along with area law enforcement agencies, is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Mohave Substance-abuse Treatment Education & Prevention Partnership (MSTEPP) to make our community safer.
On this day, law enforcement agencies across the country will provide a venue for people who want to safely and anonymously dispose of their unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family or friends and often from the home medicine cabinet.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain medications; 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants; and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family or friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The DEA’s Take Back Day events in Mohave County provide an opportunity for area residents to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths by properly and safely disposing of all unused prescription medication. Other information and resources will be available.
A prescription drug drop-off site will be set up outside each police department on Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. All medications collected will be turned over to the DEA for proper disposal.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
They will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted. DEA will continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges at its drop off locations provided lithium batteries are removed.
If you can’t make it, both agencies have a permanent and secure prescription drug drop-off slot in the lobby during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. At the last Take-Back Day in October, the DEA collected a record-high amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 500 tons of unwanted drugs.