TCSO to offer prescription drug take-back Saturday

On Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to:

Sheriff’s Headquarters, 833 S. Akers St., Visalia

Visalia Substation, 2404 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia

Cutler/orosi Substation, 40765 Rd. 128, Cutler

Pixley Substation, 161 N. Pine St., Pixley

Porterville Substation, 379 N. 3rd St. Porterville

Farmersville Police Department, 909 W. Visalia Rd., Farmersville

Woodlake Police Department, 350 N. Valencia Blvd, Woodlake

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

More than 9.9 million pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications were collected nationwide (nearly 5,000 tons) during 15 previous events over the past eight years.

The Drug Enforcement Administration expects to reach a total of 10 million pounds collected following Saturday’s Take back event.

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 alarm-

ingly 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—pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 27 Take Back Day event, go to the http://www. dea.gov/index.shtml or call Teresa Douglass, Sheriff's public information officer, at 559-802-9412.