On October 28, 2017 Vernon ROCKS partnered with Walgreens Pharmacy and the Vernon Police Department to host a DEA Drug Take Back Event in Vernon-Rockville. The goal of this event was to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Community members were encouraged to bring pills for disposal to Walgreens in Rockville. The service was free to the public and was completely anonymous, no questions asked. During the three hours of our event, we collected 167 pounds of prescription medications! Vernon ROCKS thanks our partners and looks forward to continuing to host these events during future national DEA take back days.
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 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. 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—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
