Safely dispose unwanted medications April 30

MAT-SU–On April 30, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska State Troopers, Palmer 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 Wasilla Fred Meyer at 1501 E. Parks Hwy., Palmer Fred Meyer at 650 S. Cobb Street, or Talkeetna’s Sunshine Community Health Center at 34300 S. Talkeetna Spur Road. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last September, Americans turned in 242,000 pounds—121 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners, including Alaska State Troopers. MAT-SU residents turned in 222 pounds of prescription medications and this time will have an added site at the Palmer Fred Meyer store to drop off any unwanted drugs.

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.

Four days after last fall’s event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long- term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA has begun drafting regulations to implement the Act.

If you have questions or need more information on the local take-back events, please call Ali Little at the MAT-SU Borough at 745-9557 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.