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Health & Fitness

Got Drugs? Turn Them In

Drop off your unwanted prescription drugs at DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 26 between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

By Amy Reif

During the last few months, numerous media reports about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse have also noted its link to a resurgence in heroin use. This is not a problem “affecting other people in other communities.” It is happening right here in Fairfax County. While the problem is complex, it is one we can all take steps to mitigate by taking care to properly secure our family’s prescription drugs and then properly discard them when we no longer need them.

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The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) and its partners, including the local police and fire departments, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, Department of Solid Waste Disposal, and Office of Public Private Partnerships, are urging residents to take part in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 26. 

It’s a free, easy and anonymous way to discard your unused, expired and unwanted prescription medicines. In doing so, you will not only help to prevent prescription drug abuse, but you will also help to prevent accidental poisoning and keep our waterways clean. A national study, conducted last year by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation, found that 49% of teens who misuse or abuse prescription medicines get them from a family member or friend. More often than not, these drugs are found in our medicine cabinets.

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The DEA launched its national twice-a-year take-back day in 2010. In October, UPC and its partners supported this DEA effort in Fairfax County, and 2,030.5 pounds of prescription drugs were collected in the county, and more than 20,000 pounds were brought in across Virginia.

Please help by bringing your unused, expired or unwanted prescription medicines in their original containers to one of the following collection sites. You can blacken or scratch out the personal information on the bottle.

  • Fairfax County Mason District Police Station -  6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
  • Fairfax County Sully District Police Station – 4900 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly
  • Fairfax County Franconia District Police Station – 6121 Franconia Rd., Alexandria
  • Fairfax County Fire Station #34 – 10511 Rosehaven St., Fairfax
  • Fairfax County Fire Station #5 – 6300 Beulah St., Alexandria
  • Vienna Police Headquarters – 215 Center St. South, Vienna
  • Herndon Police Department – 397 Herndon Parkway, Herndon
  • City of Fairfax Police Department – 3730 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax
  • Virginia State Police – 4977 Alliance Drive, Fairfax
  • City of Falls Church (Property Yard) – 7100 Gordon Road, Falls Church
  • NOVA Community College (Annandale Campus) – 8333 Little River Turnpike, 1st Fl CA Bldg (near main entrance)
  • Fort Belvoir Main Exchange (open to public) – 8651 John J. Kingman Road Bldg. 2321

And what about the rest of the year? 

  • Make it a habit to keep your prescription medicines in a safe place, one that can’t be accessed easily by a child, a visitor or someone who might be prone to misuse.
  • Count your pills every now and then, especially the ones like Vicodin, Percocet, Ritalin and steroids, all of which are frequently abused.
  • Discard unused and unwanted prescription drugs on a regular basis. It’s easy to do at home.
    -- Just mix the pills or liquids into a container filled with an unpalatable substance such as cat litter, used coffee grounds or dishwashing liquid,
    -- Put the lid on it, seal and dispose in your regular trash (not recycling).
    -- Don’t flush your prescription medicines down the toilet!

For more information about prescription drug abuse and the proper methods of disposing prescription drugs, you can visit the UPC website www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org or contact the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/csb/wellness/safe-handling-medications

If you or someone you know has a problem with prescription drug abuse, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board may be able to help you.  

Amy Reif is the health sector coordinator of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County.

The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County is a nonprofit organization with more than 60 community partners working together to keep youth and young adults safe and drug-free. Visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org and www.facebook.com/unifiedpreventioncoalition. Follow the group on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keepyouthsafe.

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