FMYN WITH DEA PARTICIPATES IN DRUG “TAKE BACK” INITIATIVE

Got Drugs? Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2024!

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will participate in a nationwide prescription drug “Take Back” initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft. The Fort McDowell Police Department with help from Wassaja Medical Clinic will be collecting potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at the Public Safety Building.

This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Fast, drive through service will be offered and provides a quick and safe way to dispose of unneeded medications.

Hopefully you already know that unused medications will lose their effectiveness over time. Throwing them into the sewers is not environmentally safe. Worse yet, just keeping these drugs in the house poses a great risk and temptation to others.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.  Rates of prescription drug abuse in the US are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.