Ahead of Saturday's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a D.C. woman invited News4 into her home to show us the expired medications she found when she cleaned out her medicine cabinet.
"I thought I didn't have any, but I do," Patricia Adams said. "I found a few and I am going to drive up there and I'm going to have those disposed of."
Drug Take Back Day offers a chance for you to safely dispose of drugs you no longer need or that are expired — and it's also an opportunity to help curb the opioid epidemic that’s claimed so many lives.
Adams, a retired social worker, knows firsthand about the dangers of having prescription medications in the home. Awhile back, her young 3- and 5-year-old nieces were visiting.
"And they came downstairs and said to me, 'Oh, I have candy.' And I thought, 'I don't have candy upstairs.' And I said, 'Let me see.' And of course, it was a pill," she said.
Adams shared her story with Jean Moise of D.C.'s Department of Behavioral Health, who is helping to raise awareness about Drug Take Back Day.
"We have an opioid crisis out there right now," Moise said. "This is one of our main harm reduction strategies. We want to make sure we get the drugs out of the home and out of the hands of youth and children or people that might be inclined to misuse them."
Last year, on the 25th anniversary of Drug Take Back Day, nearly 600,000 pounds of drugs were collected across the country. In this region, that included:
- In Washington, D.C.: 602 pounds
- Delaware: 4,073 pounds
- Maryland: 10,599 pounds
- Virginia: 16,454
- West Virginia: 4,326 pounds
Adams is urging all her friends and neighbors to check their medicine cabinets like she did.
"Take the opportunity like I am," she said. "Pay attention, because no matter who's in your home, no matter how they are loved, you know, we know some of our family have addiction problems, and just pay attention and pass the word on so that they can participate."
You can drop of any types of pills or liquid medications during Drug Take Back Day. You won’t be asked for ID. There are thousands of dropoff locations across the country Saturday in every state, with 17 locations in D.C.
http://gty.im/2149590441
http://gty.im/2149590441
http://gty.im/2149590441
http://gty.im/2149590441
