National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set for April 27

Local collection points will be available April 27 for residents to safely dispose of unused or expired medications during the National Take-Back Initiative. On Maui, medications can be taken from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wailuku Police Station parking lot at 55 Mahalani St. or use the collection site locator by clicking here.

“The National Take Back Initiative provides a safe and a convenient way to dispose of your unwanted and expired medications,” said Valerie Mariano, branch chief, Community and Crime Prevention, in the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General. “The majority of the take back locations will be organized as drive-thru locations. These take backs help to assure residents that those living in their homes will be kept safe from unintended poisoning and misuse of prescription drugs.”

Department of Law Enforcement Deputy Director Jared Redulla said: “We encourage the community to dispose of their unwanted and unused medications at this National Take Back Initiative. We can all do our part to keep Hawaiʻi safe from drug misuse, accidental poisonings, and overdoses.”

Unused or expired medicine should be properly disposed of when no longer needed, the department advises. Also those with unused or expired medications should know:

• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
• Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning.
• Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another.
• Children may eat medicine, thinking it’s candy.

Medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Proper disposal reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.

The take-back initiative is a partnership of the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement Narcotics Enforcement Division and local law enforcement agencies. Collection sites will be located on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi island.

National Take Back Initiatives are conducted twice a year and are free and anonymous services to the public – no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication will be accepted. Everything can be kept in its original container. No labels need to be removed. Vaping devices will also be accepted, but batteries must be removed. New or used syringes will not be accepted.

“The National Take Back Initiative supports DEA’s commitment to the health and safety of all residents in Hawaiʻi,” said DEA Honolulu District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Victor Vazquez. “I encourage everyone to remove any unused and expired medications from their homes for drop-off at designated collection sites. The results of these semi-annual take back events have been substantial, with thousands of pounds of unneeded and potentially dangerous medications being collected and safely destroyed. In addition to these events, there are also a number of year-round medication drop-off sites that can be searched by: zip code, city, or state, and people can find their nearest location on the www.dea.gov website at: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#resources, or visit www.hawaiiopioid.org.