Spring Prescription drug take back

Saturday, April 30

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Seaside City Hall, 989 Broadway

Seaside police plan spring prescription drug take back project

By Rosemary Dellinger

Editor

The Seaside Police Department will coordinate a prescription drug turn in on April 30 at Seaside City Hall. The project is in conjunction with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) nationwide campaign to rid homes of unused and unwanted medications. Local police officers will accept unwanted or expired prescriptions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the front lobby at City Hall, 989 Broadway.

According to Seaside Police Chief Bob Gross, his department coordinates the program twice a year in an attempt to prevent pill abuse and theft.

"Our second event was very successful," Gross said following a project in November of 2010. The fall event was a partnership project with the American Medicine Chest Challenge. During the fall program, officers nationwide collected more than 242,000 pounds - 121 tons - of prescription drugs at more than 4,000 sites.

In Seaside, local residents turned in more than 80 pounds of prescription and non-prescription medicines along with 30 pounds of other types of medications. Gross said during Seaside's initial campaign in March of 2010, community members turned in 15 pounds of prescriptions.

Area residents can bring in potentially dangerous expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs during the free drop off service, with no questions asked.

According to statistics from the National Family Partnership, more than 6.2 million people age 12 and older reported abusing prescription drugs, with 4,047 young children and adults reporting they began experimenting with prescription drugs. Less than five percent of the drugs were obtained from strangers, drug dealers or on the internet.

DEA officials report medicines that remain in homes medicine cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

A 2009 report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health stated more Americans abuse prescription drugs than those who use cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin.

Parents and adults are urged to pay closer attention to prescription medicines by locking them up, taking a regular inventory of medicines and writing usage in a log and learning about the most commonly abused drugs - pain relievers, sedatives, stimulants and tranquilizers - and talking about the dangers of them with their children.

The Seaside Police Department also has established a permanent drop off site at the police station.