Kirtland joins 'National Drug Take-Back' initiative April 29-30

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  • By Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Team Kirtland members who have unused or expired medications will have an opportunity to get rid of them safely this month.

The semiannual Drug Enforcement Agency National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for April 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and April 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop off locations for both days will be the Kirtland Exchange south entrance and the Commissary.

The event is a joint effort of the DEA and 377th Security Forces Squadron. People are encouraged to clean out medicine cabinets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines and dispose of items past their 30-day mark. No questions will be asked, no information will be taken and no identification will be required.

Drug take-back days are for individuals to turn-in any medications, both prescription and over-the- counter. No syringes or other injectable devices will be accepted. Participants in the drug take-back day should remove labels from their medication containers so that no personally identifiable information is visible. All medications will be transported to an approved facility for incineration, the industry standard for safe disposal of unwanted medicines.

According to the DEA, the majority of teenagers who abuse prescription drugs get them from family and friends or from the home medicine cabinet; children and pets may also have access to medications, leading to accidental poisoning.

For more information about the event, call 846-7169. For more information on prescription drug abuse, visit http://www.dea.org.