Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Residents can get rid of old medicine

Drug Take Back Day set for Saturday at Alton Law Enforcement Center October 23, 2011 6:20 PM By LINDA N. WELLER ALTON - The city of Alton will participate in the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday to enhance its ongoing drug drop-off program. The special effort, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., will be in the entryway of the Donald E. Sandidge Alton Law Enforcement Center, 1700 E. Broadway. Illinois-American Water Co. provided a permanent pharmaceutical drop-off box in September 2010 in the entryway as an around-the-clock depository for citizens to drop off unwanted or unused prescription medications. "They have filled 52, 30-gallon bags of unwanted medications," said Karen Cotton of Peoria, manager of external affairs for Illinois-American. "We've been estimating that a gallon of the medications weighs at least 4 pounds. So based on that estimate, the Alton Police Department has helped to collect and properly dispose of approximately 6,240 pounds of unwanted medications." Locally, Drug Free Alton Coalition and the Alton Police Department are co-sponsoring the Take Back Project. An Alton police officer will be at the drop-off area during the event to collect the medications. Edwardsville and Granite City also are participating in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's special effort. Edwardsville's four-hour drop-off will be held at RP Lumber, 514 E. Vandalia St.; Granite City's drop-off will be at the Walgreen drug store parking lot, 3732 Nameoki Road. The intent of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is for people to dispose of the drugs safely, without harming the environment or risking someone else ingesting the pills or capsules. The collected materials are incinerated. According to a press release from Melanie Nagel of Drug Free Alton Coalition, the Drug Take Back Day addresses a "vital public safety and public health issue." "Research shows that more than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs," the press release states. "The Partnership for a Drug Free America estimates that each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time. Further research shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet." The DEA, in conjunction with state and local law enforcement, has collected more than 309 tons of pills at previous National Drug Take Back Days, the release states. Nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation have participated in these events. These initiatives began after the U.S. Congress passed legislation amending the Controlled Substance Act, allowing the DEA to develop a process for people to safely dispose of their prescription drugs. President Barack Obama signed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of 2010 on Oct. 12. The DEA will continue to hold Take Back Days every six months until the process moves beyond the initial development phase, Nagel's release states. People can deposit over-the-counter and prescription medications, cough syrups, vitamins, hormones, painkillers and antibiotics. They cannot drop off hypodermic needles, intravenous solutions, mercury thermometers or oxygen tanks. Cotton said overall, the company has provided grants and drop-off boxes in 22 Illinois locations, with two more coming this year. So far, the program has netted 150,000 pounds of unwanted medications in an effort to keep them from being flushed down toilets or dropped down drains - thereby polluting water systems - or buried in landfills, from which they can leach into soil and groundwater. The water company developed its disposal program based on Pontiac, Ill., teacher Paul Ritter's students' model, which they named P2D2. Students from that school and a school in Antioch, Ill., lobbied for successful passage of HB2056, the first law in the United States to deal with and fund disposal of prescription medications. "The bill enacts an additional $20 fine against anyone convicted of certain drug offenses," Cotton said. "That $20 is placed in a fund to help with costs associated with pharmaceutical disposal programs. That (money) fund will be available in 2012." A second, related bill (HB 3090) that Illinois-American worked on authorizes any Illinois community the use of its police department or city hall to place pharmaceutical drop boxes for collecting unwanted medications, Cotton said. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed both bills into law Aug. 24.

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