On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent prescription drug misuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  This is a semi-annual national event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency, local law enforcement and community health partners.

There will be five locations across Lincoln County for people to bring medicines for disposal:

• Boothbay Harbor Town Office;
• LincolnHealth, Miles Campus in Damariscotta;
• Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Coopers Mills;
• Waldoboro Town Office; and the
• Wiscasset Police Department 

The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, Maine people turned in over 27,000 pounds (of the 900,000 pounds nationwide) of prescription drugs. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that linger in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. In 2015, more than one out of ten high school students in Maine reported misusing a prescription drug in their lifetime (MIYHS, 2009-2015).

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 2 out of 3 teenagers who misused pain relievers say they god them from family and friends, including their home’s medicine cabinet (Partnership for Drug Free Kids).

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 to humans and to our natural resources.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website or call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 207-882-7332.