Kirtland to join 'National Prescription Drug Take-Back' initiative

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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 Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sept. 26 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.

"Discarding medications improperly can cause harm to the environment or people around you," said Staff Sgt. Jacob Mercurio, 377th Security Forces Group. "By disposing of medications through the sink or toilet it can cause pollution to local waterways, and throwing medications in the trash could lead to someone finding the medications and using them for personal use, causing harm or feeding a new or existing addiction."

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.