EUGENE, OR – Lane Community College Public Safety will give the public another opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs during the fifth National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, September 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside Building 19 on main campus, 4000 E. 30th Avenue, Eugene (directions at www.lanecc.edu/center/PDFs/CMLmap-LCCV4.pdf).
The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. No liquids, sharps or illicit drugs can be accepted.
"This is a great way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without harming the environment," says Chief Jace Smith, Public Safety manager at Lane. People often don't know what to do with old prescriptions. Flushing them or throwing them in the trash deposits chemicals into the waste stream and water table that pose potential safety and health hazards.
In addition, medicines in home cabinets are susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets.
Last fall, Lane collected between 200 to 300 pounds of medicines for turnover to the DEA which incinerates the materials.
Take Back Day is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency who said the last event in April 2012 in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington collected more than 28,510 pounds of unwanted or unused pharmaceuticals.
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Media contact: Joan Aschim, PIO, aschimj@lanecc.edu or (541) 463-5591