Charleston, WV (WOAY) – West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey say his office will take part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The event takes place next weekend in conjunction with local and federal law enforcement agencies partnering with substance abuse prevention groups across the state to responsibly dispose of unused medication.
According to a press release, representatives from the Attorney General’s Office will be working with state, county and municipal agencies and groups in staffing Take Back sites around West Virginia on Saturday, April 26.
“Take Back Day is an important national event that occurs twice a year. It provides an invaluable service in keeping potentially deadly drugs out of our neighborhoods,” Attorney General McCuskey said. “Too many West Virginians’ lives have been destroyed by opioids. By collecting unused or unwanted prescription medications, we can reduce the number of opioids and other pain medications in our communities.”
Since 2013 the WV Attorney General’s Office has participated in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Representatives with Attorney General’s Office say they will be in place at over 50 collection sites around the state of West Virginia.
As part of Take Back Day, the Attorney General’s Office will assist the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department and the Town of Oceana Police Department at One Cup Coffee at 893 Cook Parkway in Oceana, from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Beckley Police Department at Kroger at Beckley Crossing.
The Attorney General’s Office is also coordinating with Capitol Police and the state Department of Homeland Security at a Take Back location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the State Capitol Complex Safe Zone adjacent to the Culture Center at the Greenbrier/Washington Street entrance.
The DEA oversees Drug Take Back Day, which was launched in 2010. During the event, municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies collect unused medication and responsibly dispose of it. The DEA typically hosts two prescription Drug Take Back days per year—one in the spring and one in the fall.
In an effort to destroy unwanted/expired pills, the Attorney General Public Health Trust previously awarded prescription drug incinerators to law enforcement agencies across the state. The incinerators are shared among law enforcement agencies.
The incinerators were awarded through the Dispose Responsibly of Prescriptions (DRoP) initiative, which also distributed drug disposal drop boxes throughout the state.
Go to https://bit.ly/3mDXkN5 to find a collection site near you.
