Crime & Safety
Police Host Drug Takeback Day
You can safely dispose of unused prescription medications and syringes with no questions asked at an event hosted by the Palatine Police Deparmtent on October 26.
The Palatine Police Department will help residents safely dispose of unused drugs in their medicine cabients. On October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the police department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are hosting a takeback event at the department, 595 N. Hicks Road, a release from the department says.
At the event, residents can bring unused prescription medicine in for disposal with no questions asked.
To insure a quick and safe transaction that day, you should:
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- Medication: All medication should be sealed in clear plastic zip-lock bag(s).
- Syringes: Although the DEA does not accept Syringes, the Palatine Police will accept Syringes for disposal. Syringes must be capped and packaged separately from medication.
- Liquids will not be accepted.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, the release says. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. continues to climb at an alarming rate. The days of flushing medicine down the toilet and/or throwing them away and ending up in a landfill poses safety and health hazards to all of us and our environment.
With the assistance of the DEA, the Palatine Police Department will continue to host prescription drug take-back events semi-annually for residents. For information, visit www.dea.gov or call the Palatine Police Department at (847) 359-9000.
