Kaua‘i police to hold Drug Take Back Day

The Kauaʻi Police Department, in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is collecting unused, unwanted, or expired medications for National Drug Take Back Day on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at KPD headquarters located at 3990 Kaʻana St., in Līhuʻe.

The public is invited to utilize the anonymous drive-thru drop-off service on the east-facing side of the building.

Tablets, capsules, liquids, patches and other forms of medication – prescription or nonprescription – 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.

This event is part of a national initiative coordinated by the DEA, which focuses on providing a safe, convenient and responsible method of disposing of medications while educating the community about the potential for abuse and the consequences of improper storage and disposal.

Expired medication should not be discarded in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Improperly disposed of prescription drugs can potentially enter the water supply and harm aquatic life. Medications left unused in household cabinets are at a high risk of being diverted, misused, or abused. According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, most people who misused a prescription medication obtained it from a family member or friend.

The state is now in its 15th 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 the event held last October, over 3,400 pounds of unused medication were willingly turned in by the public at collection sites throughout the State of Hawai‘i.

Anyone unable to participate in this National Drug Take Back Day can visit KPD headquarters at any time and anonymously drop off 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 Acting Assistant Chief Paul Applegate at 808-241-1696 or [email protected].