Got Drugs?

The City of SeaTac is participating in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, encouraging all residents to locate expired or otherwise no longer needed medications in their homes and bring them to City Hall this Saturday October 26th, between 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM for a responsible means of proper disposal.

With public participation at an all-time high after six prior events in three years, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its national, tribal, and community partners will hold a seventh National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at thousands of sites across America on Saturday the 26th.  These Take Back Days give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs.

Prescription drugs that languish in medicine cabinets create a public health and safety concern because they are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.  Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high; almost twice as many Americans (6.8 million) currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Americans participating in DEA’s six previous Take-Back Days turned in nearly 2.8 million pounds—almost 1,409 tons—of prescription drugs, most recently at more than 5,800 sites operated by over 4,300 of DEA’s law enforcement partners.  Please consider taking advantage of this FREE service to rid your home of unnecessary prescription drugs.