By Brian Trompeter
Fairfax County police, along with several other county agencies, took part Oct. 28 in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s 25th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day initiative.
County police helped collect 776 pounds of unused and expired over-the-counter and prescription medications from community members at drop-off sites across the county. Here are the pound totals of drugs collected for each area:
• Reston District Station/Reston Hospital Center: 183.
• West Springfield District Station: 151.
• Fair Oaks District Station: 127.
• Franconia District Station: 99.
• McLean District Station: 72.
• Mason District Station: 59.
• Mount Vernon District Station: 43.
• Sully District Station: 33.
The drug take-back initiative addresses vital safety and public-health issues, county police said. Unused or expired over-the-counter or prescription medicine left unsecured can be prone to misuse and may contribute to overdoses and accidental poisonings, they said.
Those who were not able to participate in the Oct. 28 event can take advantage of drug take-back boxes available year-round at all eight of the department’s district stations.
Acceptable items include prescription medication (Schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled), prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications and pet medications. Prohibited items include needles (sharps), liquids of any kind, illegal drugs, non-prescription ointments and lotions, aerosol cans and inhalers.
Additional information is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/drug-disposal.
Vienna Nets 228 Pounds in Drug-Takeback Event: The Vienna Police Department on Oct. 28 teamed up with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the 25th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.
During this event, Vienna police gathered and properly disposed of 228 pounds of expired or unneeded medications that local residents voluntarily turned in. Statewide, the October initiative amassed around 16,454 pounds of medications.
The Vienna Police Department is committed to remaining an active partner with the DEA in future Drug Take-Back events and continuing its efforts to promote safe and responsible medication disposal.
