LITH to Hold Drug Drop-Off Event

On April 27, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your medications for disposal to the Lake in the Hills Police Department located at 1115 Crystal Lake Rd., Lake in the Hills. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last September, Americans turned in 244 tons of prescription drugs at 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. 

Source: Village of Lake in the Hills press release