Unused or expired prescriptions can pose a safety hazard, and Pocatello Police are 'taking them back' - East Idaho News
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Unused or expired prescriptions can pose a safety hazard, and Pocatello Police are ‘taking them back’

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The following is a news release from the Pocatello Police Department.

POCATELLO – Do you have unused or expired prescription medications?

Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and the Pocatello Police Department will be accepting medications for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 911 N. 7th Ave in the lobby of the police station.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day initiative aims to provide a safe and convenient way to dispose of prescription drugs. Needles will not be accepted.

The “drug take back” initiative addresses both a public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to theft 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.

Citizens are discouraged from disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash. These methods pose potential safety and health hazards to our landfill and water supply.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 26 Take Back Day event, CLICK HERE. You can also call Pocatello Police Community Services at (208) 234-6117.

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