SFPD Participates in Nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day
The SFPD, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other local law enforcement agencies will be part of a nationwide prescription drug “Take Back” day on, Saturday, September 26, 2015 at all San Francisco Police district police stations.
This event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free, anonymous and no questions will be asked. There will be collection containers for prescription pills that are expired, unused and unwanted. We ask for no identifying information and plastic bags will be available at each site if needed. This event aims to provide a safe, convenient and ecologically responsible method of prescription drug disposal while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.
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.
Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like the San Francisco Police Department and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.
Please start preparing now and look through your medicine cabinets.
WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING INTRA-VENOUS SOLUTIONS, NEEDLES, INHALERS OR PATCH STYLE MEDICATIONS. ILLICIT SUBSTANCES SUCH AS METHAMPHETAMINE, MARIJUANA, ETC ARE NOT PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
Information is also available at: www.DEA.gov.
Drop off locations:
Central Police Station, 766 Vallejo Street. 415-315-2400
Southern Police Station, 850 Bryant Street. 415-553-1371
Bayview Police Station, 201 Williams Street. 415-671-2300
Mission Police Station, 630 Valencia Street. 415-558-5400
Northern Police Station, 1125 Fillmore Street. 415-614-3400
Park Police Station, 1899 Waller Street. 415-242-3000
Richmond Police Station, 461- 6th Avenue. 415-666-8000
Ingleside Police Station, #1 John V. Young Lane. 415-404-4000
Taraval Police Station, 2345- 24th Avenue. 415-759-3100
Tenderloin Police Station, 301 Eddy Street. 415-345-7300