CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) — West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey announced his office will take part in next weekend’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by partnering with law enforcement and substance abuse prevention groups across the state to responsibly dispose of unused medication.
Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office will assist state, county and municipal agencies and groups in staffing Take Back sites around West Virginia on Saturday, April 26.
“Take Back Day is an important national event that occurs twice a year. It provides an invaluable service in keeping potentially deadly drugs out of our neighborhoods,” Attorney General McCuskey said. “Too many West Virginians’ lives have been destroyed by opioids. By collecting unused or unwanted prescription medications, we can reduce the number of opioids and other pain medications in our communities.”
The Attorney General’s Office has participated in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day each year since 2013. The office’s locations next weekend will be among the more than 50 collection sites in West Virginia.
As part of Take Back Day, the Attorney General’s Office will assist the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at 1078 Main St. in Elkview from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department and the Town of Oceana Police Department at One Cup Coffee at 893 Cook Parkway in Oceana, from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Beckley Police Department at Kroger at Beckley Crossing.
The Attorney General’s Office is also coordinating with Capitol Police and the state Department of Homeland Security at a Take Back location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the State Capitol Complex Safe Zone adjacent to the Culture Center at the Greenbrier/Washington Street entrance.
Go to https://bit.ly/3mDXkN5 to find a collection site near you.
The DEA spearheads Drug Take Back Day, which was launched in 2010. During the event, municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies collect unused medication and responsibly dispose of it. The DEA typically hosts two prescription Drug Take Back days per year—one in the spring and one in the fall.
The Attorney General Public Health Trust previously awarded prescription drug incinerators to law enforcement agencies across the state. The incinerators are used to destroy unwanted/expired pills and are shared among law enforcement agencies.
The incinerators were awarded through the Dispose Responsibly of Prescriptions (DRoP) initiative, which also distributed drug disposal drop boxes throughout the state.
