Governor Cooper encourages North Carolinians to participate in the 14th Annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day tomorrow, Saturday, October 28, 2017. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various collection sites across North Carolina for safe collection of expired or unwanted prescription drugs.
“It’s easy for unwanted prescription drugs to fall into the wrong hands and the consequences can be deadly,” said Governor Cooper. “Safely disposing of expired and unwanted drugs can help protect our children and families from addiction and overdose. The opioid epidemic is devastating communities and families across North Carolina, and in many cases opioid addiction starts with access to unused prescription drugs.”
Earlier this year, Governor Cooper launched North Carolina’s Opioid Action Plan, which focuses on reducing the oversupply of prescription opioids. In addition, Governor Cooper has signed the bipartisan STOP Act into law, which strengthened oversight and tightened supervision on opioid prescriptions.
“The fight to end the opioid crisis affects all of us. Responsibly disposing of unwanted prescription drugs instead of leaving them in your medicine cabinet is part of the solution for the opioid epidemic in our state,” said Gov. Cooper.
If you are unable to attend a Drug Take Back Day event, you can visit a permanent collection site. Operation Medicine Drop seeks to encourage safe disposal of unused prescription drugs. Partnering with local law enforcement, the organization has established multiple year-round collection sites across the state.
Disposing of unused medications through take back events also prevents them from being flushed or thrown away where they can end up in the water supply.
Find where to safely dispose of your unwanted prescription drugs here.