Help Curb Overdose Crisis: Participate in Local Drug Take Back

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27 Madison County’s law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will operate a drop-off site for Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27, in Edwardsville.

Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine, Sheriff Jeff Connor and Coroner Steve Nonn will be operating the drop-off site in coordination with the DEA.

The drop-off site, open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be in the Madison County Administration Building’s back parking lot on Second Street in Edwardsville: Madison County Administration Building, 157 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025.
Haine said the event is “a convenient way for Madison County residents to help fight the overdose epidemic and save lives.”

Connor added, “I strongly urge residents to take advantage of this service. It’s a way to dispose of unneeded medicines in a safe manner.”

Nonn said, “Many of the tragic overdose deaths we handle could have been prevented if unneeded prescription drugs had been disposed of properly.”

The Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides an easy, no-cost opportunity to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to abuse and theft.

The majority of opioid addictions start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home.

Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.

Items that can be accepted at the event include:

o Prescription medication including controlled substances
o Over-the-counter medications
o Vitamins
Items that cannot be accepted include:
o Any illicit drugs. (These substances can be turned over to a police department at any time.)
o Sharp objects, including needles, auto-injectors, etc. Please check with your waste disposal
company to learn their procedures for the safe disposal of these items.
o Liquids not secured in a leak-proof container.
o Biohazardous materials.
o Glass objects, including thermometers or other medical devices.
o Aerosols, including inhalers.

Since 2010, DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has collected nearly 18 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in the United States, more than 112,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose last year. Young people are among the hardest hit.

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