The Moorhead Police Department will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to collect unwanted or expired prescription medications as part of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines-flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash-posed potential safety and health hazards. Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.
Results: October 2019 National Take Back
Total Law Enforcement Participation: 4,896
Total Collection Sites: 6,174
Total Weight Collected: 882,919 lbs. (441.5 Tons)
Event Locations in Moorhead:
Hornbacher's on Main Avenue, 101 11 St S., 10:00-11:45am
Hornbacher's Azool, 950 40 Avenue South, 12:00pm-2:00pm
The Clay County Law Enforcement Center, 911 11 Street North, has a lobby drop off bin available 24 hours a day.
Captain Deric Swenson, 218.299.5186
