The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration continue working together to Keep Corpus Christi Safe by hosting their 2nd Annual Prescription Take-Back for 2011.
Please see the following news release from the Drug Enforcement Administration for additional information.
DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTS SECOND COASTAL BEND PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY ON OCTOBER 29, 2011 “Living Drug Free Starts at Home”
(Corpus Christi, TX) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with the Corpus Christi, Portland, Cuero, and Sinton Police Departments and the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office, will provide the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. On Saturday, October 29th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., DEA along with its local law enforcement counterparts will host the Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. There will be ten Take-Back locations within the Coastal Bend Community. Additionally, students from the Texas A&M Health Science Center – Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy will be at select locations offering complimentary blood pressure and glucose screenings.
This initiative, “Living Drug Free Starts at Home,” addresses vital public safety and health issues. 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–more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The same study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In April of 2011, Americans turned in 376,593 pounds—188 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.
The Prescription Take-Back service is free and no questions will be asked.
Collection Sites will be set up at the following locations:
- KIII TV 5002 S.P.I.D., Corpus Christi
- Boys and Girls Club 3902 Greendwood Drive, Corpus Christi
- HEB 5313 Saratoga Boulvevard, Corpus Christi
- HEB (Flour Bluff) 1145 Waldron Road, Corpus Christi
- HEB (Annaville) 11100 Leopard Sttreet, Corpus Christi
- HEB 1600 Wildcat Boulevard, Portland
- Coastal Bend College 1814 Brahma Boulevard, Kingsville
- Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office 1500 E. King Street, Kingsville
- Cuero City Hall 201 E. Main Street, Cuero
- Sinton Chamber of Commerce 218 West Sinton Street, Sinton
Prescription drug disposal and the DEA’s Take-Back events are significant pieces of the White House’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan released this year by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Purging home medicine cabinets of neglected drugs is one of four strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion laid out in Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis. The other strategies include education of health care providers, patients, parents and youth; establishing prescription drug monitoring programs in all states; and increased enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills.
For more information and collection sites nation-wide, please visit www.dea.gov.
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