News Releases

Mobile Police Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Apr 19th, 2011

On Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Mobile Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and/or unwanted prescription drugs. This initiative is known as the 2nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The Mobile Police urge the public to bring your medications for disposal to any of the five precincts or Police Headquarters. The service is free and anonymous - no questions asked.

The following are addresses for the disposal sites:
Mobile Police Headquarters — 2460 Government Boulevard
First Precinct — 850 Virginia Street
Second and Fourth Precincts — 4851 Museum Drive
Third Precinct — 2165 St. Stephens Road
Fifth Precinct — 8080 Airport Boulevard

Last September, Americans turned in 242,000 pounds - 121 tons - of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines languishing 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 a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised 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.
Four days after last fall's event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an "ultimate user" of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents' controlled substances in certain instances. DEA has begun drafting regulations to implement the Act.

For more information about the 2nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, please contact Mobile Police at (251) 208-1918 or visit www.NationalTakeBackDay.com.

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Ashley H. Rains
Public Information Office
Office: 208-1918
Fax: 208-1758