National Drug Take Back Day is April 30. Is your community participating?

Saumya Rastogi, MetroWest Daily News
·2 min read

Residents can get rid of unused and expired prescription drugs that are potentially dangerous to public safety next Saturday, April 30, which is National Drug Take Back Day.

Several Massachusetts' police departments are collecting unwanted drugs to prevent substance abuse.

Framingham police officers assist residents seeking to drop off unwanted prescription drugs during last year's National Drug Take Back Day.
Framingham police officers assist residents seeking to drop off unwanted prescription drugs during last year's National Drug Take Back Day.

Many teens and others obtain prescription drugs from family or friends. They can find over-the-counter (OTC) medication on kitchen counters or home medicine cabinets, according to Get Smart about Drugs, an online site created by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2020, 9.3 million people ages 12 and older misused prescription psychotherapeutic drugs (pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives).

Many people commonly use three types of prescription painkillers that can cause respiratory diseases; depressants that can cause sleepiness and/or mental functioning, blurred vision and nausea; and stimulants that can cause irregular heartbeat, paranoia, and high body temperatures.

All are extremely addictive.

In 2019, more than 70% of drug overdoses in the U.S. occurred due to prescription drug abuse, use of heroine and opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Collection sites around MetroWest

A major key to diversion is properly and safely disposing medications. Studies show that flushing them down the toilet or drain can cause public safety and health hazards.

The safest way to dispose of drugs is by dropping them off at collection sites in police departments.

In conjunction with the DEA, several MetroWest and Greater Milford communities are holding anonymous drive-throughs and special prescription drop boxes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Saturday:

  • Framingham. Framingham Police Department, 1 William Welch Way.

  • Natick. Natick Police Department, 20 East Central St., and on the second floor of the Natick Mall, near Wegmans.

  • Ashland. Ashland Police Department, 137 Main St.

  • Hudson. Police Department, 911 Municipal Drive (off Cox Street).

  • Milford. Milford Senior Center, 60 North Bow St.

If no DEA-authorized collection sites (pharmacy, hospital or law enforcement location) are available, and no Take Back Days are scheduled in your community, you can follow these steps to dispose of most medicines in the household trash:

1. Mix medicines with an unpalatable substance, such as dirt, used coffee grounds or kitty litter; however, do not crush tablets or capsules first.

2. Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag or empty can to prevent the drug from leaking in the garbage.

3. Throw the container in the trash.

4. When disposing of empty prescription bottles, be sure to mark out identifying personal information to make it unreadable.

For more information on finding disposal sites in Massachusetts, visit DEA's Take Back website.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: West of Boston communities to participate in National Drug Take Back Day