Drug Take Back Day aims to prevent prescription misuse, protect Hawaii’s water

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s Attorney General is urging the public to take part in the national Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.

Drive-through drop-offs will be open on Oahu and Kauai Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Green take-back boxes are also located at police stations on Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Hawaii Island and will be available year-round, allowing for anonymous drop-off.

Anyone can bring unused or expired meds to drop off locations for disposal, no questions asked, to prevent misuse and to protect Hawaii’s waters.

“We know street drugs are dangerous, illegal and sometimes deadly,” said Jared Redulla, director of the Department of Law Enforcement. “Unused or unwanted medications can also be extremely harmful if they end up in the wrong hands or are misused. The National Take Back Initiative’s success is due to the help we get from our local residents properly and legally disposing of unused and unwanted medications.”

Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication are accepted. Medication may be left in its original container, and labels do not need to be removed

Vape or e-cigarette devices will be collected only after batteries are removed. New or used needles or syringes will not be accepted.

“Prescription drug misuse can impact not just the individual, but the entire family,” said Valerie Mariano, chief of the Community and Crime Prevention Branch within the Department of the Attorney General. “Let’s work together to prevent misuse by participating in these semiannual take back days.”

For more information, visit dea.gov/takebackday or call 808-541-1930.

Residents who know of anyone struggling with prescription drug misuse can also visit manoa.hawaii.edu/.

Proper medication disposal

Hawaii officials say the proper disposal is important for several reasons:

• Medications may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Misuse of prescription medications can pose serious health risks and can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
• Keeping unused or expired medications at home increases the risk of accidental poisoning, particularly for children and older adults.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another, or children may mistake medication for candy.

Medications should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet.

Proper disposal helps prevent medications from entering the water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.

Drop-off locations

• Hawaii State Capitol, Beretania Street drive-thru: 415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI
• Honolulu Police Department, Pearl City Police Station parking lot: 1100 Waimano Home Road, Pearl City, HI
• Times Supermarkets Kahala parking lot: 1173 21st Avenue, Honolulu, HI
• Kauai Police Department, Main Station parking lot: 3990 Kaana Street, Lihue, HI

For more information on disposal locations, visit the Department of Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division website at health.hawaii.gov/substance-abuse.