MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —
The MTSU campus community and general public are welcome to participate in
the next MTSU Drug Take-Back Day from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 20,
near the Campus Pharmacy drive-thru.
Expired, unused,
and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines will be accepted. To
find the drop-off location adjacent to the Student Health, Wellness and
Recreation Center, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.
Sponsored by
Campus Pharmacy and University Police, the drug take-back event is part of a
national collection drive led by the Drug Enforcement Agency’s overall efforts
to remove excess drugs from communities where they could be abused or misused,
diverted into the wrong hands or disposed of in environmentally unsafe
ways.
Campus officials
request, if possible, people leave medicines in their original packaging. For
prescription medicines, black out any personally identifying information on the
label.
Those collecting
the unwanted medications are unable to accept sharps (needles) at this
event.
The National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, secure, and
environmentally responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while
also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and trafficking
of medications.
The nonmedical
use of controlled substance medications is at an all-time high. A study
sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
revealed more than 54 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers
got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the
family medicine cabinet.
In 2016, more
than 200 pounds of medicine was collected at MTSU collection
events, said Lisa Schrader, director of Health Promotion. In total, nearly 400
tons of medicines have been disposed of nationally since take-back collections
began in 2010.
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