pills-addiction

File photo. 

UPDATE | The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) collected 459 pounds of unwanted or expired prescription drugs last Saturday as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Pharmaceutical Take-Back initiative, they announced today on  Twitter. 

The tweet contains a picture of prescription drugs and images of the Take-Back Initiative’s brochures. The DEA will dispose of the drugs safely. 

PREVIOUSLY: Long Beach Police and Health Dept. to Collect Residents’ Prescription Drugs for Safe Disposal Saturday

09/24/15 at 12:31PM | On Wednesday, the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) announced its collaboration with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services to collect expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs and dispose of them safely this Saturday, as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Pharmaceutical Take-Back initiative.

The services will be provided this Saturday, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM in the Department of Health and Human Services parking lot. The DEA destroys the drugs collected, which have amounted to hundreds of pounds of drugs in previous events, according to a press release. 

Free drive-thru services will be provided, allowing drivers to drop off prescription drugs from their seats, without leaving their vehicles. A pair of Aquarium of the Pacific tickets will be awarded to the drivers of the 25th, 50th, 75th and 100th vehicles, stated the release. 

The release also noted that many Americans are not aware that drugs can languish in cabinets and are susceptible to abuse. Family and friends are often the source of abused prescription drugs, said the release, citing multiple studies. Also, many Americans dispose of the pills by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away, causing public health hazards.

For more information regarding the National Take Back Initiative, visit www.dea.gov or contact the Long Beach Police Department’s Drug Investigations Section at 562.570.7221.