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 Federal and Local Law Enforcement Authorities Coordinate Initiative to Give the Public Opportunity to Dispose of Expired and Unused Prescription Drugs
At more than a dozen sites in Lehigh County, police officers will be accepting controlled, non-controlled and over-the-counter medications that people no longer need or want as part of a National Take-Back Day Initiative designed to remove potentially dangerous medications from homes. "This will give the public the chance to dispose of medications in a safe and convenient manner," said Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin. "Many people may not know what they have in their medicine cabinets and may have accumulated bottles of medications. People don't want the medications to fall into the wrong hands or to be accessible to young children and teens, but at the same time, they don't know where or how to properly dispose of pills and capsules. I hope this initiative will encourage Lehigh County residents to take inventory of their medications and get rid of ones they no longer need to keep their families and the community safer." District Attorney Martin's office is coordinating the local initiative with Lehigh County police departments, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Drug Task Force and the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. Prescription drug abuse in the United States is the fastest growing public health threat facing the nation today, according to John J. Bryfonski, special agent in charge of the DEA. "The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates there are 6.2 million current non-medical users of psychotherapeutic drugs in the United States, more than the number abusing cocaine, heroin and hallucinogens combined," Bryfonski said. "Expired, unused or unwanted controlled substances in our homes are a potential source of supply that fuels this abuse, which constitutes an unacceptable risk to public health and safety." In the past, the Take-Back Initiative had been done on a smaller scale in several counties and states. The success of past programs prompted the DEA to launch the first nationwide initiative. When the program was done in New Jersey, authorities collected 9 tons of pills, said Luis A. Carrion, group supervisor in the pharmaceutical section of DEA in Philadelphia. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the sites listed below, police officers will have boxes that are labeled, "Miscellaneous pharmaceuticals to be turned over to DEA." Police officers will ask no questions of individuals disposing of medications and will not ask for identification. Fountain Hill Community Police Officer Dave Apgar said that when he visits elderly housing units, he sometimes encounters situations where residents have boxes filled to the top with bottles of expired medications. "When someone dies, there often are boxes of unused medications left behind," Apgar said. "People are told they shouldn't flush it down a toilet so they store it because they don't know what else to do." During the event, members of the public will remove pills or capsules from their containers and place them directly into the disposal box. Participants will take the containers with them after dropping pills in the box. The medications will not be logged or counted. Police will not handle the medications at any time. "We have made this an anonymous program so that people feel comfortable dropping off medications," said Carrion. Liquid products and plastic containers will not be accepted. Intravenous solutions, injectables and syringes also will not be accepted because of the potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens. Illegal substances, such as marijuana and methamphetamine, are not part of the program and should not be placed in the collection boxes. At the end of the event, police will secure the boxes, which will be taken to a central collection site. DEA personnel will take custody of the collection boxes from local law enforcement authorities. The National Guard will transport the boxes from the central location sites to an incinerator where they will be burned. The accessibility of prescription medications, including pain killers, appetite suppressants and anxiety-relievers, that can be ordered on the Internet and paid for with Medicaid and insurance cards, has contributed to an increase in abuse, law enforcement authorities said. The ease with which they can be obtained also makes them more prone to abuse by teens and young adults in schools and on college campuses who may use the medications themselves or sell them, law enforcement authorities said. Prescription drugs that are commonly abused are Percocet, Percodin, Vicodin, Xanax, Adderall, Ritalin, Oxycodone and Phentermine. Teens and young adults often are unaware of the dangers of prescription medications or the legal repercussions. "The young people think, 'Well, it was prescribed by a doctor. It can't hurt me.' " Carrion said. "Or they think, 'If I get caught with this, it isn't like cocaine.' " Lehigh County Chief Deputy District Attorney Bethany Zampogna said she has seen an increase in the number of cases of people being charged with unlawful possession of prescription drugs and acquiring medications by fraud. Some people who forge or steal prescriptions don't think their behavior is criminal, she said. "In their minds, it's not the same as meeting up with a drug dealer on the street or a back alley," Zampogna said. "It has less of a stigma." Carrion said people sometimes will try to deceive doctors about their symptoms or will "doctor shop" and visit different doctors to get the same medications. The following is a list of locations where people can bring medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25:
Allentown police officers also will be at the Episcopal House, 1440 Walnut St., Allentown.
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On Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, federal and local law enforcement authorities will participate in a nationwide program to give the public an opportunity to dispose of expired and unused prescription drugs.