SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — This weekend, Mainers will have their second opportunity of the year to get rid of unused or expired prescription medications safely. That's because another nationwide "Take Back Day" is scheduled to happen at sites around the country.
This is the 21st event of its kind. Take Back Days are spearheaded every year by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This weekend's event is happening on Saturday, October 23, 2021. The last event happened in April, and the department reports there were 5,060 collection sites nationwide with about 420 tons of drugs collected. The total collection from the October 2020 event was 985,392 pounds or almost 493 tons.
The South Portland Police Department is taking part in Saturday's Take Back Day. Detective David Stailing with the department says people can bring their medications in plastic or paper bags or pill bottles. People can just drive into the parking lot, and volunteers will be outside to collect items through car windows.
There are a couple of goals with this initiative. One is to protect the environment by making sure drugs don't go in the trash and end up in our water streams or elsewhere. The other is to make sure drugs don't get into the wrong hands to avoid accidental poisoning, misuse, or overdose.
In some ways, the pandemic has put a greater emphasis on keeping kids safe.
"Kids have been home a lot in their houses -- a little bit depressed because they're not getting out and about and doing the normal activities," said Stailing. "That being said, if there's stuff laying around, the chance of them getting into something like that is greater."
Stailing says the department had a good turnout at its April event, collecting about 649 pounds of medication for a total of 22 boxes. Once drugs are collected, Stailing says they go to sites where experts incinerate them.
If you can't make it to Saturday's event, there's a drug drop-box at the South Portland Police Department that's open 24/7, 365 days a year. You can't put liquids or needles in it, but there's a separate box on the wall for needle disposal. If you don't live in the area, you can contact your local police department to find out if it also has a year-round drop-box.
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