National Drug Take-Back Day Scheduled for Saturday

Get rid of unused, unwanted or expired medications on National Drug Take-Back Day.

In partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Kauaʻi Police Department will host its second Drug Take-Back event this year on Saturday, Oct. 23. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and medications can be dropped off at KPD headquarters, located at 3990 Ka‘ana Street, in Līhu‘e.

The collection 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.

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.

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.

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 dropbox.

For more information on the National Drug Take Back Initiative, visit the DEA’s website at www.dea.gov, or contact KPD Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce at 808-241-1681.