Friday, October 28, 2011

Turn in your prescription drugs at Take Back event Saturday, or any time at Northland stations

PRESS RELEASE:

Kansas City residents will be able to drop off their unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs all over Kansas City on Saturday, and now there are permanent drop-off locations at two police stations.

Kansas City Police are partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to present the nationwide Take Back day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. The drop off locations will be:

• MainCor, 3215 Main St.
• CVS, 11124 Holmes
• 633 E. 63rd St.
• Shoal Creek Patrol Division, 6801 NE Pleasant Valley Rd
• North Patrol Division, 1001 NW Barry Road

Residents can drop off the drugs anonymously with no questions asked. With the exception of needles, all expired, unused or unwanted medicines – prescription or over-the-counter – can be turned in. The Take Back intends to combat prescription drug abuse and dispose of the drugs in an environmentally responsible way. The drugs will be incinerated, keeping them away from those who would abuse them and out of the water supply and away from wildlife. Last year, KCPD collected 1,179 pounds of drugs at their April 2011 Take Back event.

But Saturday won’t be the only chance for residents to dispose of their unwanted medicines. In partnership with the Northland Coalition, permanent drop boxes have been installed at KCPD’s North and Shoal Creek patrol divisions. Starting Oct. 29, residents can drop drugs off 24 hours a day, every day at the receptacles in the stations’ lobbies.

For more information about the nationwide Take Back Day, go to www.dea.gov. For more information on the Northland Coalition and others sponsoring the prescription drug drop boxes, visit www.NorthlandCoalition.com.