Get rid of expired or unused medication the right– and safe– way during UCF’s drug take-back event next week.
UCF Police and UCF Health Services will partner to collect expired, unwanted or unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs as part of an anonymous, no-questions-asked national effort to curb drug abuse and safely dispose of unneeded medicine.
UCF’s fifth drug take-back event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, leading up to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Prescription Drug Take Back-Day on Saturday, Sept. 27.
UCF will host the event at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway a few days before the national take-back day to accommodate students’ schedules. UCF Police will store all the turned in drugs until the DEA picks them up Saturday.
No needles will be accepted, but pills, inhalers, liquids and ointments are welcome. Pet medication also will be accepted.
The DEA will incinerate all collected items, which is the safest way to destroy expired or unneeded drugs, keeping them out of the hands of abusers and protecting our waterways and landfills. In total, the DEA’s drug take-back events have collected more than 4.1 million pounds of pills.
The initiative is important because medicine that sits in home cabinets is subject to misuse or abuse, which is why organizers suggest cleaning out your medicine chest at least once a year.
UCF regularly collects unwanted pills and patches at permanent drug take-back boxes located on the first floor of the Student Union and in the pharmacy of the Health Center. UCF Police collects items from the boxes and stores them until they are picked up by the DEA.
For additional information about the DEA initiative, including other local drop-off sites, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/.