Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging all Georgians to empty their medicine cabinets and take part in the National Drug Take Back Day this Saturday. Now in its 9th year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.
“All too often, our very own medicine cabinets can serve as a conduit for the opioid epidemic,” said Carr. “As we continue to strengthen our state’s response and cut down on the illicit use of prescription drugs, I want to stress the importance of safely disposing of any unused, expired prescription drugs. This Saturday, I’m encouraging Georgians to empty their medicine cabinets, so that together, we can ensure there are no more tears, no more deaths and no more heartache as a result of the opioid epidemic.”
The DEA holds the event several times a year. The last was held in May when officials reported that Americans nationwide did their part to drop off a record number of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications. Together with a record-setting amount of local, state and federal partners, DEA collected and destroyed close to one million pounds — nearly 475 tons- of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs, making it the most successful event in DEA history.
This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 9,964,714 pounds, or 4,982 tons.
According to Carr, the Attorney General’s Office and the Statewide Opioid Task Force will have Drug Take Back Boxes located all over the state that are available year-round. You can find one near you simply by visiting DoseofRealityga.org and utilizing this Interactive Drug Take Back Map.
Below, find more helpful tips from Carr’s office as it relates to safe disposal:
- Never Flush or Drain — Unused or expired prescription medications should never be flushed or poured down the drain. These potentially dangerous pharmaceutical substances can contribute to contamination of our water supply if not disposed of properly.
- Bring
- Prescriptions (controlled and non-controlled)
- Over-the-counter medications
- Ointments, patches, non-aerosol sprays and inhalers
- Creams, vials, and pet medications
- Do Not Bring
- Illegal drugs, needles/sharps, or aerosol cans
- Bio-hazardous materials (anything containing bodily liquid or blood
- Mercury thermometers or personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc)
- Household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas, and no acids)
