On April 26, 2014, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM the Manhattan Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give our community another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Medications will be accepted for disposal at Manhattan Beach Police Department (420 15th Street, Manhattan Beach) in the Community Room. The service is free, anonymous, and no questions asked.

The DEA Take Back 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.

In addition to the bi-annual DEA Take Back event, the Manhattan Beach Police Department also offers 24/7 medication drop-off, in a secure collection bin, which is located in the front lobby of the Police Department. As a result of both the October 2013 DEA Take Back event and the Department’s collection bin, the Manhattan Beach Police Department collected over 840 pounds of unwanted or expired medications.