WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that Ohioans can safely dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs on “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” which begins today, Saturday, April 24, at 10:00 A.M. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in an effort to provide safe, convenient and responsible means for disposal of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for misuse of medications.
“Addiction isn’t an individual problem or a character flaw, it’s a disease – a disease that all too often starts in the family medicine cabinet,” said Brown. “That’s why this DEA-sponsored Drug Take Back Day is so important in Ohio. Now more than ever, as drug overdoses have increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic, all prescription medications—especially addictive opioid painkillers—should be disposed of safely to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.”
“This pandemic has made the addiction epidemic in our communities worse, and we cannot lose sight of that fact,” said Portman. “Most individuals who become addicted to opioids start by using prescription drugs, and that’s why safely disposing of unused prescription drugs is critical tool in our efforts to stop opioid abuse. I urge all Ohioans to clean out their medicine cabinets and participate in this year’s Drug Take Back event.”
Ohioans can look up the drug take back site closest to them here.
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