The Brownwood Police Department announces that they will be hosting their semi-annual Drug Take Back event on Saturday, October 29th from 10am until 2pm at two locations in Brownwood. The event is an effort to help keep unneeded prescriptions and illegal drugs off the streets of Brownwood and out of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In April, the Take Back event a received a great response–collecting 68 pounds of drugs according to Brownwood Assistant Chief of Police James Fuller.
“We had a great response in April and are hoping to surpass that,” said Fuller. “It’s a big help to the wastewater treatment facility because hydrocodone, Xanax and other microscopic remnants of drugs flushed down the toilet are not able to be removed and are still microscopically present in our water.”
Sergeant Tracy Delgado reported that this awareness of proper drug disposal has even affected some of the BPD protocol on how they respond to certain situations such as a death outside of the hospital.
“Since we started the drug take back program last year, BPD has revised how we handle deaths other than at the hospital. When we receive a call such as from a home health care nurse regarding the passing of someone, officers now pick up the drugs at the residence and inventory them until there are court orders to destroy them,” said Delgado. “We also want to prevent old or unused over the counter medications such as Tylenol or vitamins from going into the waste water system.
Two Locations to drop and drive away–NO QUESTIONS ASKED
- Wal-Mart: Under the Trees behind Long John Silver’s
- BISD Central Office Building at 4th and Magnolia
“It’s a ‘no questions asked’ situation, just bring in the medications to either drop off location,” advised Delgado.
Brownwood Police officers will be present not to intimidate anyone but to protect the integrity of the program, according to Brownwood Chief of Police Mike Corley. They will be providing security only.
“I want to get the bad narcotics that could be easily sold off the streets, such as painkillers and anti-depressants,” stated Corley. “There’s a lot bigger prescription drug market here in Brown County than most people are aware of.”
WHAT CAN I BRING?
Please leave all items in their original containers and black out all personal information. The following medications will be accepted.
- Prescription Medications (Pills, liquid, creams, &patches)
- Non-prescription Medications (Pills, liquid, creams & patches)
- Pet Medications (Pills, liquid, creams & patches)
- Vitamin & Herbal Supplements (Pills, liquid, creams & patches)
- All types of Inhalers
- Even Veterinary medications
PLEASE DO NOT BRING THESE ITEMS:
Please check with your health-care provider for proper disposal procedures for the following items that will not be accepted:
- NO Sharps
- NO Syringes
- NO Oxygen Tanks
- NO Pen Needles
- NO Lancets
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
The purpose of this Take Back Day is to provide a venue for persons who want to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. This effort was a huge success at the first event, September 25, 2010, removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from our nation’s medicine cabinets. There were more than 121 tons of pills on this first National Take Back Day.
Once collected, the drugs collected locally will be taken by Brownwood Police Department to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be destroyed.
