Drug Takeback Day April 30

After a great response last year, the U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Agency decided to hold another National Drug Take Back Day, to give people a safe place to dispose of their old prescription drugs. The event will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on April 30 with about 3,000 collection sites nationwide.

DEA Public Information Officer Edward Marcinko said last year people dropped off prescription drugs that had been sitting in their medicine cabinets for 10 or 15 years.

It is a completely anonymous and free service, and there will be no questions asked. As part of the program, the DEA also used the day to educate parents and their children about the dangers of prescription drugs.

Marcinko said that one-third of all teenagers believe all prescription drugs are "OK." He said many teens don’t know the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. According to DEA studies, the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from medicine cabinets.

More then 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey of Drug Use and Health.

One of the more common methods of disposing of prescription medications is to flush the medication down the toilet, which causes problems in local waterways.

Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, said that the Take Back initiative is a baby step in the right direction.

"Though it’s a step in the right direction," Tutman said "the initiative doesn’t account for the damage that has already been done."

He said that the Patuxent River is a “walking medicine cabinet,” and thinks that it should be a more publicized problem.

One issue, Tutman said, is that there are no studies on the medications in the Patuxent River. Since there aren't studies being done, people assume there is no problem, Tutman said.

“Ignorance is not bliss… The public needs to know,” Tutman said.

Medication getting into the water might contribute to a growing number of intersex fish. Tutman said the effects on humans might not be immediately known.  Medication in the water could effect body chemistry and even mutate genes.

Last year in the Washington district, which includes Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia, the DEA collected 11,000 pounds of prescription drugs during Take Back day. Four thousand pounds came from Maryland alone.

Nationally, the DEA collected 242,000 pounds of prescription drugs. The drugs were later incinerated.

Locations in Anne Arundel County include:

• Southern District Police Station
  35 Stepney’s Lane
  Edgewater, MD
• Northern District Police Station
  939 Hammonds Lane
  Baltimore, MD
• Eastern District Police Station
  3700 Mountain Road
  Pasadena, MD
• Western District Police Station
  8273 Telegraph Road
  Odenton, MD