PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Pittsburg Police Department, located at 201 N. Pine Street, will be a drop-off site for unneeded, old or expired medications at the end of the month.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, Pittsburg PD will accept tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription medication as part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The service is free, and drop-offs can be anonymous. The department asks that community members keep sharps, needles, injectors and aerosol containers such as inhalers, separate from other prescription medications.
According to a news release, last year the DEA collected a record-high amount of 500 tons of unwanted medications.
Throughout the past several years Pittsburg PD has received hundreds of pounds of medications during these occasions. The department stated in a release it is “proud to provide the community with the ability to responsibly dispose of medication.”
This year, the Crawford County Mental Health Center will have a table set up during the event with informational materials to hand out.
Unused medications can potentially be a public safety issue and can lead to overdose, substance abuse or accidental poisoning, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Without proper disposal, some medications can cause environmental issues or can be harmful if consumed by animals or children.
Keeping unneeded medications can also lead to misuse.
In 2021, 14.3 million people reported misusing any prescription psychotherapeutic, 8.7 million people reported misusing prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people reported misusing prescription tranquilizers and 3.7 million people) reported misusing prescription stimulants.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews
