Full Notification

On October 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Upland Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its seventh opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Upland Police Department at 1499 W. 13th Street, Upland CA 91786. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (over 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2.8 million pounds—more than 1,400 tons—of pills.

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.

DEA is in the process of approving new regulations that implement the Safe and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” (that is, a patient or pet or their family member or owner) of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances.

Those wishing to dispose of expired, unused, and/or unwanted prescription drugs may bring them to the lobby at the Upland Police Department on Saturday October 26th, 2013, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This program is anonymous and all efforts will be made to protect the anonymity of individuals disposing of medications. No questions or requests for information will be made.

**Intravenous solutions, injectibles, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood borne pathogens.**

Further information on the national Take Back Initiative can be found at www.nationaltakebackday.com. Any questions regarding the event at the Upland Police Department can be answered by calling the Department at (909) 946-7624.

In addition to the collection sites listed above, additional locations throughout Southern California can be found by visiting www.dea.gov and clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon.

For additional information pertaining to DEA and prescription drug abuse, visit www.dea.gov, www.justthinktwice.gov, or www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com.

Address/Location
Upland Police Department
1499 W. 13th Street
Upland, CA 91786

Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 909-946-7624