Information provided by Cook County MEDS Disposal Initiative
CHICAGO, Ill. (April 1, 2021) – Prescription drug abuse is a growing concern in the U.S. with millions of people using prescription drugs non-medically according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Additionally, the Partnership for Drug Free Kids has found that one-third of teens believe it is OK to take a prescription drug for an injury or to deal with pain without a prescription. These numbers underscore not only the issue of prescription drug abuse, but the importance of proper handling and storage of prescription medications in the home.
The Cook County MEDS Disposal Initiative was created to educate communities about proper medication management, storage, and disposal. The initiative’s mission is to keep families safe and grow stronger communities and neighborhoods by giving people the tools to prevent prescription drug diversion and abuse. One way to do that is to properly dispose of expired or unused medications at a secure take back location as soon as they are no longer needed.
Take Back Day – April 24
Prompt and proper disposal of over-the-counter and prescription medications prevents their diversion to misuse. The Cook County MEDS Disposal Initiative is reminding residents that Saturday, April 24 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and that many local police offices will be hosting special take back events to collect expired or unused medications. To find an event near you visit TakeBackDay.DEA.gov.
The Lansing Police Department will be a location for the take back event, and is located at 2710 170th Street.
This twice-a-year event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while educating the general public about the dangers of drug diversion. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day offers a great opportunity for Cook County residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and properly dispose of unused or expired medications.
Residents can always properly dispose of unused or expired medications every day with the help of www.CookCountyMEDS.org, which has a map of the county’s year-round collection sites. The Walgreens in Lansing at the corner of Ridge Road and Wentworth Avenue is a year-round collection site.
