DEA launches Secure Your Meds campaign, calls on Americans to keep medications safe
LOS ANGELES – With families encouraged to stay at home due to the nationwide health crisis, the Drug Enforcement Administration is asking Americans to keep prescription medications safe and secure until they can properly dispose of them.
The Secure Your Meds awareness campaign addresses a vital public safety and health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. The campaign also prompts families to discuss the issue of controlled prescription drug abuse.
“Protecting the health and safety of our communities is DEA’s top priority, especially during the unprecedented public health emergency,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “With Americans at home, families need to be even more vigilant and keep prescription medications safe, secure, and out of reach of children and others in the household.”
“This campaign is a great reminder for people to take action to protect and secure medications in their homes,” said DEA Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. “As more people are home due to the COVID-19 crisis there is more exposure to prescription drugs in medicine cabinets that can be dangerous in the wrong hands. The majority of prescription drug abusers say they get their drugs free from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet. While we are all facing unique challenges during this time don’t let the risk of prescription drug abuse or misuse be one of them.”
DEA holds its national Prescription Drug Take Back Day twice a year. However, because of the current nationwide coronavirus pandemic, DEA postponed the 2020 Spring Take Back Day, originally scheduled for April 25, 2020. DEA will reschedule Take Back day for a date shortly after the health crisis recedes and national emergency guidelines are lifted.
In the meantime, DEA wants to remind Americans to clean out their medicine cabinets and secure unused, unwanted, and expired prescription medications for the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, on a date to be determined.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States 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.
Once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifts restrictions, DEA will reschedule Take Back Day. More information on the Secure Your Meds campaign and Take Back Day are available at www.DEATakeBack.com.
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Please follow us on Twitter @DEALOSANGELES and @DEALASVEGAS. For any additional information please contact DEA PIO Nicole Nishida at (571) 387-3136 or Nicole.K.Nishida@usdoj.gov
Los Angeles Field Division is the 2nd largest division in DEA and responsible for the seven largest counties in Southern California—Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Nevada (Las Vegas/Reno), Hawaii (Oahu/Maui), Guam and Saipan.
