HomeMy WebLinkAbout____20211020 KPD NR KPD to host National Drug Take Back Day on SaturdayDEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: October 20, 2021
COUNTY OF KAUA‘I
KAUA‘I POLICE DEPARTMENT
TODD G. RAYBUCK, CHIEF
(808) 241-1600
KPD to host National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday
LĪHU‘E – The Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD), in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), is collecting unused, unwanted, or expired medications for National Drug Take
Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 23, at KPD headquarters located at 3990 Ka‘ana
Street, in Līhu‘e.
The collection, which is the second of its kind to take place this year, will consist of a drive-thru,
drop-off service in the breezeway at the parking lot roundabout.
Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication – prescription or nonprescription –
including patches, will be accepted. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted.
This service is free and anonymous, and no questions will be asked.
The event is part of a national initiative coordinated by the DEA, which focuses on providing a
safe, convenient and responsible method of disposing medications, while also educating the community
about the potential for abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal.
Expired medication should not be discarded in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Improperly
disposed of prescriptions drugs have the potential to enter the water supply and also harm aquatic life.
Expired medication can also contribute to misuse or abuse of the drug. A majority of people who
misused a prescription medication obtained it from a family member or friend, according to a report by
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The state is now in its 12th year of holding the DEA’s Drug Take Back Initiative, which has
resulted in a collection of more than 53,000 pounds of prescription medications.
During April’s Drug Take Back Day, KPD collected a total of 16 boxes filled with unused,
unwanted and expired medications, adding up to a combined weight of 165 pounds.
Anyone who is not able to participate in this National Drug Take Back Day can visit KPD
headquarters at any time and anonymously drop off any unused or expired medication via the
permanently installed medication drop box.
For more information on the National Drug Take Back Initiative, please visit the DEA’s website at
www.dea.gov, or contact KPD Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce at 241-1681.
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