Northwest Iowa — Unused, unwanted drugs can become a target for addicts and thieves. That’s the main reason that the national “Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” was created. The Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA says that this Saturday is another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, where you get the chance to safely get rid of unwanted prescription drugs. The events are held twice a year. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but many of the sites have dropoff boxes that are available 365 days a year, many of them 24 hours a day.
Cheryl Buntsma is a Certified Prevention Specialist at Compass Pointe Behavioral Health Services, which is the substance abuse treatment center for northwest Iowa. She tells us one of the reasons why it’s important that these drugs that are not being used are removed from the home.
She says another reason is that the strength and efficacy of expired medications cannot be relied upon, and it could be dangerous to your health if you take them.
Experts say turning in the unused drugs not only keeps them from getting into the hands of someone who might misuse them, it also keeps them from being flushed down the toilet or into landfills where they can impact water supplies.
Buntsma says they’re trying to get people to realize that when they have prescriptions in the home, they are just like valuables, and should be hidden or even locked away. And if you don’t need them anymore, they should be turned in.
You can find Prescription Drug Takeback sites by clicking here. Some sites include the sheriff’s offices in Osceola, Lyon, and Sioux counties, and the Sutherland Police Department, among others.
