Calaveras community members can prevent prescription and other drug
misuse and abuse by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous
expired, unused, and unwanted drugs on September 29th, 2012 from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at three locations around the county. A "Drop the Drugs"
event is being presented by Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, Alliance
for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Angels Camp Police Department. The
service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This is the third year in which United States Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement
partners, including Calaveras County have hosted prescription drug
take-back days in Spring and Fall. Drug disposal and misuse is a vital
public safety and public health issue. Medicines that sit unused and
unwanted in home cabinets pose a serious health risk. 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.
Returning unused drugs to law enforcement agencies for destruction
is the most environmentally appropriate method of disposal. The usual
methods for disposing of unused medicines-flushing them down the toilet
or throwing them in the trash-pose both safety and health hazards.
"Drop the Drugs" sites are:
Feeney Park parking lot - Murphys
Calaveras County Office of Education parking lot - Angels Camp
Toyon Middle School parking lot - San Andreas
For more information regarding "Drop the Drugs" day on September 29th, the public may contact Josh Gillespie at 209-754-2891. For more information about the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention contact Michael Magana at 209-754-6019.
