October 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Prescription drugs are a common cause of accidental poisonings and should not be kept around if they’re no longer needed.
Leftover prescription opioid painkillers, in particular, pose a risk for addiction and overdoses.
According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet,” the DEA said in a statement. Another study surveyed 1,000 people with opioid painkiller prescriptions and found that one in five of them admitted sharing their pills with another person.
The DeKalb Prevention Coalition will be hosting a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event on Saturday, October 23 at the city hall locations in Smithville and Alexandria from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Be sure to bring all expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. (Sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharp instruments, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. For more information please email DeKalb Prevention Coalition at dekalbtnprevention@gmail.com or call 615-580-9290.
In Smithville please access Don Cantrell Street between the city hall and new police department building to the drug take-back drop off location downtown Smithville.