Coming up is Drug Take Back Day, which is a chance to properly get rid of unused, or out of date medications.

On September 27th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Miller County Sherriff’s Office and the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, in conjunction with 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.  Bring your medications for disposal to the Miller County Sherriff Department’s drop off box located at 2300 East Street in Texarkana, Arkansas.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

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. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice or the Miller County Sherriff’s Department at tbutler@millercountyso.us.

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