National Prescription Drug Take Back Scheduled Saturday

For the third consecutive year, local law enforcement agencies will participate in the bi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back event.

The Grand Junction Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Palisade Police Department, and the Fruita Police Department, will conduct the event this Saturday (April 27) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Locations for the upcoming Drug Take Back event are: The Grand Junction Police Department (6^TH Street and Ute Avenue), Fruita Police Department (101 West McCune Avenue), Palisade Town Hall (175 East Third Street), and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office (215 Rice Street.

Items that cannot be accepted: needles and sharps, mercury thermometers, oxygen containers, chemotherapy/radioactive substances, pressurized canisters, and illicit drugs.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back event seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft. Local law enforcement and the DEA will collect potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction.

According to the DEA, many Americans are not aware that medicines in their home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

The DEA says studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. People often choose to flush prescription drugs down the toilet or throwing them away in the trash, both of which are potential safety and health hazards.

For more information on the National Prescription Drug Take Back event, call (970) 549-5114 or (970) 986-9947.

As a reminder, the Mesa County Household Waste Collection Facility will take needles and sharps, over the counter medications, pressurized or aerosol and mercury containing items Thursdays through Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is free of charge to Mesa County residents. However, they are NOT able to accept controlled substances (narcotics), chemotherapy or radio-active substances or oxygen tanks.

The Mesa County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility can be reached directly at (970) 257-9336 or (970) 256-9543.