OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
INCIDENT: | National Prescription Drug Take Back Day |
DATE/TIME: | Saturday, April 29, 2017/ 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. |
LOCATION: | Oxnard Police Department – 251 So; “C” St., Oxnard
CVS Pharmacy – 551 So. Ventura Rd., Oxnard |
PREPARED BY: | Crystal Walker, Detective |
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO: | Crystal Walker, crystal.walker@oxnardpd.org or (805) 385-7668 |
DETAILS:
Oxnard, California – On April 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Oxnard Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) gave the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Two locations were available for medication disposal: the Oxnard Police Department located at 251 South C Street and the CVS Pharmacy at 551 S. Ventura Rd. The service provided was free and anonymous, no questions asked. At the conclusion of this event, the Oxnard Police Department collected approximately 450 pounds of medications. That is almost 400 pounds more than what was collected in October of 2016!
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
The Oxnard Police Department will continue to partner with the DEA to hold these events. Please continue to monitor our social media and website for additional dates.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: 04/29/17, 2135 hours