Chester Police taking back unwanted prescription drugs
<span>This Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. officials with the Chester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be on hand at the CPD accepting unwanted prescription medications and providing educational material on the importance of this disposal method.</span>
<span>The program's purpose is to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.</span>
<span>The CPD is inviting all area residents to bring their unwanted prescription medications for disposal to the Chester Police Department at 1330 Swanwick Street, Chester, IL. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches).</span>
<span>This service is free and anonymous. </span>
<span>Last September, Americans turned in 309 tons (over 617,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners.</span>
<span>When those results are combined with what was collected in its eight previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 4.8 million pounds - more than 2,400 tons of pills. </span>
<span>This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. The medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.</span>
<span>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.</span>
<span>Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.</span>
<span>In addition, Americans are now advised that 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. </span>
<span>For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the September 26 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Office of Diversion Control site.</span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-639cc108-f59f-78e2-ed23-84a8ab316db7"><span>Interested persons can also visit the CPD's Facebook page , website (www.chesterpolicedepartment.com) or call the CPD at 518-826-5454. </span></span>