Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take-Back Day is set for Saturday, Oct. 26, as the event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

The event will take place across the country from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Locally it will be at the Decatur Police Department, located at 250 East Ponce De Leon Avenue, Suite T-130. The collection site will be in front of the main entrance to the building off of East Ponce De Leon Avenue.

If you have any questions, please contact Capt. Scott Richards at 404-373-6551.

DeKalb County Police precincts are located at:

• 1960 West Exchange Place, Tucker
• 1816 Candler Road, Decatur
• 2484 Bruce Street, Lithonia
• 4451 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker

This will be the seventh national take-back day, and will be held at thousands of sites all over the country. Search here by zip code for a collection site near you. Inquiries can also be made at 1-800-882-9539.

Prescription drug abuse is among the fastest-growing drug problems in the country, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. 

According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined.