(San Andreas, CA) 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 April 27th, 2013 from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three locations in the county. A “Drop the Drugs”
event is being presented by Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office and
Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention. The service is free and
anonymous; no questions asked.
This is the third year in which the 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 located:
1. Feeney Park parking lot (Murphys)
2. Calaveras County Office of Education (Angels Camp)
3. Toyon Middle School parking lot (San Andreas)
For more information regarding “Drop the Drugs” day on April 27th, the public may contact Deputy Scott Kirkman at (209)754-6384. For more information about the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention contact Michael Magana at (209)754-6019.
