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On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Delta Police Department will be hosting a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Take-Back Initiative event for the disposal of prescription drugs and other medications from America's homes. The disposal event will take place at the Delta Police Department, 215 W. 5th Street.

The DEA will coordinate its fourth collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies, focused on removing potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation's medicine cabinets. A national take-back day provides a unified opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction. This one-day event will once again provide a safe and secure collection and drop off site for medication owners regardless of where they reside.

The Delta Police Department, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, wants the public to know some very important information and requirements for use of the program:

• Controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter medications may be dropped off. This includes any medication from the pharmacy, or any store bought medication that is expired, old, or that is no longer needed, wanted, or required by the owner.

• This program is anonymous and all efforts will be made to protect the anonymity of individuals disposing of medications. No questions or requests for identification will be made.

• Participants may dispose of medication in its original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual is encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

• All solid dosage pharmaceutical product and liquids in consumer containers, with the exception of chemotherapy drugs may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should make sure the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

• Intravenous solutions, injectible solutions, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.

• Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers. If an individual attempts to surrender an illicit controlled substance, law enforcement personnel will handle such material as abandoned property for destruction in accordance with department policy.

• All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process. Law enforcement personnel will not handle the medications at any time.

• The collected medications are limited to household expired, unused, unwanted, or unneeded prescription, non-prescription, and over the counter medications. Items such as chemotherapy or radioactive substances, sharps, needles, or syringes, mercury (thermometers), oxygen containers, pressurized canisters or illicit drugs will not be accepted. All medications collected during this event will be collected by DEA and disposed of by incineration.

The DEA has conducted these events all over the nation with extraordinary response from the public. During the past three events nearly 500 tons of medication has been collected nationwide with over 17.5 tons being collected in Colorado. The National Take-Back Initiative (NTBI) events are critical in the safe removal and disposal of all personal prescription and non-prescription drugs from homes across America. These events not only remove these dangerous drugs from our homes, minimizing the potential for misuse and abuse, but also educate thousands of concerned people about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

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