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Take advantage of Prescription Drug Take-Back this Saturday

Salem Regional Medical Center and the East Liverpool Hospital provide a myriad of services. Foremost, of course, is caring for and healing the sick and wounded. They do great jobs at that.

The hospitals also provide an assortment of community services too. An important one comes Saturday with participation in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began hosting National Prescription Drug Take-Back events in 2010. Millions pounds of unwanted, unneeded or expired medications were surrendered for safe and proper disposal. At the Take-Back Day in May 2016 over 5,400 sites spread across the nation collected unwanted medications. Participants included our local hospitals.

The disposal service is free and anonymous for consumers. No questions asked. Keep in mind that needles, sharps, asthma inhalers and illicit drugs are not accepted at the drop box.

Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in the U.S. The DEA’s “Take-Back” initiative is one of several strategies under the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 to reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion in the nation. Additional strategies include education of health care providers, patients, parents and youth; establishing prescription drug monitoring programs in all 50 states; and increased enforcement to address illicit methods of prescription drug diversion.

We are all acutely aware of the drug problem in our immediate area. Among drugs abused are those prescription drugs that were stolen or even discarded and recovered for use by addicts. Also, why risk having a curious grandchild discover long-forgotten pills in your home? Who knows what danger that could present?

For those with unwanted medicine in a household this Saturday offers a great opportunity for proper disposal of such items. Why keep them around if they are not being used? Do the right thing in fighting the drug problem in your own way.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Salem Regional Medical Center Professional Building and at the main entrance to East Liverpool City Hospital.

Accepted will be will be any unused, unwanted or expired medications. We encourage you to take a moment and go through your medicine cabinet and cupboards and get rid of all and any pills and medications that are no longer needed. This method is a safe, convenient and proper disposal of such items. It doesn’t get any easier than this. Take advantage.

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