National Take-Back Initiative, Oct. 27

The Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General and Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division, in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), are coordinating a prescription drug take‐back event on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at various collection points in Hilo, Kona, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu and Maui.

This will be the DEA’s 16th National Take‐Back Initiative (NTBI), now in its ninth year for the State of Hawai‘i. Anyone with expired or unused prescription medications is encouraged to bring their medications to the collection sites. A list of designated collection sites is attached, or you can visit www.dea.gov or www.ag.hawaii.gov to learn more.

This service is free and anonymous—no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids, and other forms of medication will be accepted. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted.

“The National Take-Back is a safe way to dispose of unneeded prescription medications so that they don’t cause harm to people or pollute the environment,” said Attorney General Russell Suzuki.

“DEA looks forward to another National Take-Back in Hawai‘i on October 27th,” said John Callery, assistant special agent in charge, U.S. DEA, Honolulu District Office. “We would like to thank our long-standing partners across the State in these important lifesaving efforts.”

“The Department of Public Safety encourages everyone to support the National Take‐Back Initiative by disposing of their unneeded medications at one of the many convenient take-back locations across the state,” said NED Administrator, Jared Redulla.

In Hawai‘i, from September 2010 to April 2018, nearly 41,500 pounds of pharmaceuticals were safely collected and disposed of at the previous 15 take‐back events. Nationwide, the take‐backs have collected a total of 5,000 tons of pharmaceuticals since the fall of 2010.

If you are not able to participate in this national take-back day, go to hawaiiopioid.org to look for a location near you where you can anonymously drop off your unused or expired medications.

Unused or expired medicine should be disposed of properly when it is no longer needed for the illness for which it was prescribed.

• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.

Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning.

• Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another type; children may mistake medicine for candy.

Expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Proper disposal helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.

For more information, visit www.dea.gov or www.ag.hawaii.gov.