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Health & Fitness

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day- Margot Ferron

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Sheriffs’ Department Services will be hosting another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Sat., Oct. 26, 2013 from 10 am to 2 pm in Mission Viejo’s City Hall parking lot located at 200 Civic Center Dr.   Drive- thru and discard your unwanted, medications,

It is apparent how important this event is.  Last year more than a thousand  pounds of medications were dropped off in Orange County.  Your medicine cabinet could be a dangerous experiment waiting to happen.

This is a great opportunity for those who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

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Instructions:

Remove any and all personal information.

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Drive through and drop off at our take-back locations.

These events are completely free, discrete and anonymous.  Medical sharps such as syringes and lancets are NOT accepted at these events. 

Taking a prescription drug that was prescribed for someone else is illegal.  Many people think that abusing prescription drugs are safe because they are prescribed by a doctor, manufactured and regulated.   However, they are only safe for the person they were prescribed.  If improperly used, prescription drugs can be dangerous and they can cause severe health complications.

Did you know that two out of five teens think prescription drugs are safe?  It begins as a social habit, they want to be cool and feel good.

The 2011 Monitoring the Future survey, reported that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are the most commonly abused drugs by teens.  Kids from 12 to 17-years old said they have used prescription drugs for nonmedical use. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) distributes "Facts on Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs" as a series of fact sheets that are designed to inform educators, mentors, students and parents about the harmful effects of prescription drug abuse.  For more information, go to http://teens.drugabuse.gov/peerx.

If you miss this take back day, you can dispose unwanted or expired medications at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.   The city provides two lock boxes for residents at no cost.  Just put the pills in a zip lock bag for disposal.  Please call the center for more information at 949/470- 3062.

For more information on the take back day, please call 949-470-8433.

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