David Y. Ige

Honolulu – The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED), in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with other law enforcement agencies are coordinating a prescription drug take-back event on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at various collection points on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Hilo, and Kona.

This will be the DEA’s 17^th National Take-Back Initiative (NTBI), now in its 10^th year for the State of Hawaii.  Anyone with expired or unused prescription medications is encouraged to bring their medications to the collection sites.  A list of designated collection sites is attached, or you can visit www.dea.gov or www.ag.hawaii.gov to learn more.

This service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.  Tablets, capsules, liquids, and other forms of medication will be accepted.  New or used syringes will not be accepted.

“Properly disposing of unused and expired prescription medication is important for our natural environment and for the health and safety of our communities,” said Attorney General Clare E. Connors.  “Please bring your medication to a designated site on April 27^th or anytime to one of the permanent collection sites maintained by our dedicated law enforcement partners.”

“Please help DEA and our partners take unwanted or expired medication out of your medicine cabinets and into the incinerator.  However, if you miss our date, don’t forget, our outstanding law enforcement partners have year round take back boxes at stations around the state.  Go to www.hawaiiopioid.org to find a collection site near you.  Please help us keep our Hawaiian communities healthy and safe for all,” said John Callery, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. DEA, Honolulu District Office.

“The DEA’s National Take Back Initiative continues to be a convenient way for everyone to safely dispose of their unwanted medication.  The Hawaii Department of Public Safety strongly encourages everyone to use this free and convenient service,” said NED Administrator, Jared Redulla.

In Hawaii, from September 2010 to October 2018, DEA – Honolulu District Office (includes territories of Guam, Saipan, Rota, and Tinian) collected over 46,000 pounds of pharmaceuticals.  Nationwide, in October 2018, 6,000 sites across the nation collected and destroyed close to one million pounds, nearly 475 tons of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescriptions drugs, making it the most successful event in DEA history.  That brought the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 9,964,714 pounds or 4,982 tons.

Unused or expired medicine should be disposed of properly when it is no longer needed for the illness for which it was prescribed.

• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.

Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning

• Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another type; children may mistake medicine for candy.

Expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet.  Proper disposal helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.

For more information, please visit www.dea.gov or www.ag.hawaii.gov.

 

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For more information, contact:

 

Krishna F. Jayaram

Special Assistant to the Attorney General

Department of the Attorney General

(808) 586-1284

[email protected]

 

 

Krishna F. Jayaram

Special Assistant to the Attorney General

Department of the Attorney General

425 Queen Street

Honolulu  HI  96813

Ph. 808 586-1284

 

 

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