Cary Medical Center, in collaboration with the Caribou Police Department, will have a Prescription Drug-Take Back table at their annual Health Fair on Saturday, September 29th, from 9am-1pm at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center.

During the last national prescription drug take back day on April 28th, 2018, the Caribou Police Department collected 563.2 pounds of medications.

In an effort to reduce access and abuse of prescription drugs, all 11 police departments in Aroostook County, the Aroostook County Sherriff’s Office and Maine State Police Troop E are available to receive and serve as prescription disposal sites all year long.  This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. They can take unused, expired or unwanted medicines 24/7*, not just on Drug Take Back days.

According to the Maine Youth Health Integrated Survey, in 2017, 5.4% of Aroostook County High School students and 1.7% of Middle School students reported using prescriptions drugs without a doctor’s prescription in the past 30 days.

The *24/7 Prescription Drug 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— both flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose potential safety and health hazards.

If you have any unused or unwanted prescription drugs, please bring them to the Cary Medical Center Health Fair on September 29th or to your local police department for proper disposal.

This information was submitted to us as part of a press release. If you would like to share your community news or event with our audience, please email newspi@townsquaremedia.com.

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