4-27-11 —     Operation UNITE has partnered with the federal Drug Enforcement  

Administration (DEA) to promote participation in its second National  

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 30.

    At least four locations in the UNITE region have joined more than  

4,700 sites across the nation in the effort that seeks to prevent  

pill abuse and theft.

    "This was an easy decision because it matches perfectly with the  

UNITE ‘Pill Dragon' program," said Dan Smoot, law enforcement  

director for UNITE. "Since we began taking the ‘dragon'—a mobile  

incinerator—to communities last fall we have destroyed more than one-

half million unused or out-of-date pills."

    Collection boxes will be available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at  

three locations: Clay County Sheriff's Office, Monti-cello Police  

Department and the Somerset Police Department.

    In addition, the Rowan County UNITE Coalition has scheduled a  

special take-back program from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Carl Perkins  

Community Center in Morehead. That event is sponsored by the  

coalition, Morehead Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff's Office  

and the Rowan County Board of Education.

    Last September more than 60 Kentucky law enforcement agencies hosted  

drop-off sites that resulted in the removal of approximately 4,700  

pounds of pharmaceutical controlled and non-controlled substance  

pills, stated Robert L. Corso, special agent in charge of the DEA's  

Louisville District Office. Nationally more than 121 tons of  

prescription drugs were collected.

    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.

    "The 2008 National Survey on Drug Abuse Use and Health estimated  

that 6.2 million Americans are using psychotherapeutic drugs with no  

legitimate medical need," Corso noted. "Furthermore, the survey  

indicates more Americans abuse psychotherapeutic drugs more than  

cocaine, heroin and hallucinogens combined."

    Studies show that individuals that abuse prescription drugs often  

obtained them from family and friends, including the home medicine  

cabinet.

    "This has been the focus of a four-month educational campaign,  

called ‘Accidental Dealer,' by UNITE's community coalitions to raise  

awareness of this issue. In many instances the finale event included  

a visit by the Pill Dragon—made possible through sponsorship by the  

Kentucky Army National Guard and Eastern Kentucky PRIDE—for a "Clean  

Your Medicine Cabinet Out Day" program.

    "PRIDE is a key partner with this initiative because of the  

potential environmental hazards created through improper disposal of  

their unused medications," Smoot said. "Too often these medications  

are flushed down the toilet or simply tossed in the trash. As a  

result, they end up in landfills, septic tanks and our drinking water  

supply."

    The first DEA Take-Back event "was an unprecedented opportunity to  

educate everyone about the growing prescription drug abuse problem,"  

said Michele Leonhart, DEA administrator. "Studies have shown that,  

for many, prescription drugs are the very first drugs they abuse—and  

all too often they aren't the last. That is why we are committed to  

helping Americans keep their homes safe by ridding their medicine  

cabinets of expired, unused and unwanted drugs."

    Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug  

Control Policy who visited southern and eastern Kentucky in February,  

echoed this sentiment.

    "Preventing these readily available and potentially deadly drugs  

from being diverted and misused is something each and every one of us  

can do to help reduce the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is  

harming so many Americans," Kerlikowske said.

    Last fall Congress passed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of  

2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act to allow users of  

controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering  

them to entities authorized by the U.S. Attorney General. That act  

also allows long-term care facilities to dispose of their residents'  

controlled substances in certain instances.

    Regulations are currently being drafted by the DEA to implement the  

act.

    To learn where collection sites are in your community go to  

www.dea.gov and click on the "Got Drugs?" banner.

    For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at  

www.operationunite.org.