People are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and safely dispose of old medications during this Saturday's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Dale Woolery, who's helping coordinate the campaign, says it's common for people to have old prescription drugs collecting dust on the shelf.
"We don't all necessarily use every pill that gets prescribed and especially with prescription pain killers," Woolery says. "They work great when you need them, but at some point you may not need them anymore. If you have some sitting around, now is a good opportunity to get rid of them."
He says there will be about 50 sites across the Husker State set up to take the unused medicine and safely get rid of it -- in communities from Alliance to York.
Woolery says the "take back" day is part of the spring cleaning mindset, and you should check for expired or unused medications and get rid of them in an environmentally-friendly way.
Woolery says some people might throw expired prescription drugs in the garbage or flush them down the toilet, but doing that can allow those drugs to cause environmental problems. He says clearing out old drugs ensures they are not misused.
"We have a growing problem with prescription drug abuse that leads to some addiction and tragically, ultimately can lead to an overdose death. The major source for those prescription drugs that are abused, unfortunately, happens to be the medicine cabinet," according to Woolery. This is the fourth federal take back day. Most Nebraska sites will be open from 10 AM until 2 PM on Saturday. To find a collection site near you, go to: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov and look for the "take back" link.
(Courtesy of The Nebraska Radio Network. All Rights Reserved.)
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