Drug take-back event set Saturday

By Chief Randy Dixon, Cameron Police

On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Cameron Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
The Cameron Police, DEA and its partner agencies will hold the 6th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day at sites nationwide. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Cameron PD is very pleased to take part in this event in that it will hopefully stem the tide of abuse which happens daily with left over medications or could prevent a young child from accidently ingesting unused drugs.
The collection site for this year’s event will be the Cameron Police Department, located at 308 South Houston, here in Cameron. Individuals came bring their drugs into the lobby where our staff will place them into the collection box for the DEA to pick up and dispose of. There is no charge for this event and we urge everyone to take part. If it is a liquid drug, we would ask the favor of placing the medicine in a plastic bag.
Americans participating in DEA’s previous Take-Back Days turned in nearly a million pounds—almost 500 tons—of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites operated by more than 4,000 of the DEA’s state and local law enforcement partners. 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 - more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2010 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.
Prescription drug abuse is a major epidemic across the country and DEA is committed to reducing the potential for misuse by providing a safe and secure method for Americans to clean out their medicine cabinets and properly dispose of unwanted, unneeded, or expired medication.
Americans responded overwhelmingly to DEA’s first three Take-Back Day events, disposing of nearly 500 tons of medication in the past two years. This nationwide community effort prevents home medicine cabinets from becoming sources of dangerous – and even deadly – drugs.
Tell your family and friends about this free event. If anyone does not have the time on that one day, all one has to do is call the Cameron Police Department at 254 697-6574 and we will be happy to retrieve and deliver the meds to the take back location for you. This can be between now and the actual date. No questions will be asked and the service you are doing to you and your family will be invaluable.
Have a great week.
rdixon@camerontexas.net