Monrovia PD Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Image used for illustration only. – Courtesy photo / U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Amber Corcoran

On April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Monrovia Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. This will be the 17th National Take Back Initiative event. Gather your medications for disposal to the Monrovia Community Center at 119 W. Palm Avenue, in Monrovia. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

The goal of this program is to allow Southern California Residents to deliver all of their unwanted medications to law enforcement officials who can in turn dispose of these controlled substances in a secure and non-hazardous manner, potentially saving lives and protecting the ecosystem. During the previous events, tons of prescription drugs were collected nationwide.

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 getting into the wrong hands. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from the medicine cabinets of family and friends. Previous methods of disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For additional information, please contact Sergeant Kevin Oberon at (626) 256-8020.

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