Thursday, April 26, 2012

Safely dispose of prescription drugs April 28

The usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly 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.

On April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. you will have an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding your home of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Bring your medications for disposal to one of these two sites in Charlestown:
  • The Charlestown Police station at 4901 Old Post Road (across from Ninigret Park)
  • The Narragansett Tribal Police office at 4375B South County Trail. This is an office trailer behind the Tribal office between The Gentleman Farmer restaurant and the Charlestown Fire station on South County Trail.