The Michigan State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies once again will host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Oct. 28.
MSP’s 30 posts will participate in the one-day take-back effort from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on by serving as drop-off points for Michiganders to discard expired, unused and unwanted pills, which will be destroyed. No liquids, inhalers, patches, or syringes will be accepted.
Collection sites in the Dearborn-Downriver area are:
• Michigan State Police Metro South Post, 12111 Telegraph Road in Taylor.
• Dearborn Police Department, 16099 Michigan Ave.
• Dearborn Heights Police Department, 25637 Michigan Ave.
• Lincoln Park Police Department, 1427 Cleophus Parkway.
• Melvindale Police Department, 3100 Oakwood Blvd.
• Riverview Police Department, 14100 Civic Park Drive.
• Southgate Police Department, 14710 Reaume Parkway.
• Taylor Police Department, 23515 Goddard Road.
• Wyandotte Police Department, 2015 Biddle Ave.
“This is an excellent opportunity to take a look at the medicines that have collected in your medicine cabinet and properly dispose of something that could potentially be dangerous,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “Opioid abuse is a serious public health and public safety issue here in Michigan and nationwide. We will do whatever we can to help decrease all too common prescription drug abuse, accidental poisonings and overdoses.”
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is held twice a year. During the one-day effort in April, MSP posts collected 597 pounds of prescription drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, according to a MSP press release. Further, disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can pose safety and health hazards.
Other MSP collection sites can be found at http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7-123-59471—,00.html. Additional collection sites can be found by going to www.dea.gov.
People unable to participate on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day can anonymously surrender their prescription drugs at any MSP post, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.