Get rid of unused medications to prevent poisoning and overdose risk

The SWO Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Program is promoting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is taking place Saturday, Apr. 26. The intent of this Day is to provide safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications. 

Unneeded prescription medication – those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed – are a public safety hazard. Opioid misuse can start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home and result in addiction and death due to overdose. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision. A majority of people who misuse a prescription medication got it from a family member or friend. The Drug Enforcement Agency's National Prescription Drug Tack Back Day is one way to increase awareness on how to safely dispose of unneeded medications. Beyond Take Back Day, there are opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications by working to clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year. For more on this story and many more please purchase a copy of the Sisseton Courier on news stands now or purchase a copy of the E-edtion on this website.