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National Drug Take Back Day - September 29th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, the West Covina Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have teamed up for the National Drug Take Back Day. This is an opportunity for the public to safely dispose of their expired, unused, and unwanted medications without contaminating the environment and water systems.

The collection will take place at the Kaiser Permanente’s West Covina Medical Office located at 1249 S. Sunset Avenue, West Covina. Items that will be accepted include prescription and over-the-counter medications. Items that will not be accepted include used syringes/lancets and household hazardous waste such as paint, oil, and batteries.

Medicines that waste away 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.

Although the collection is taking place in West Covina, it is open to all residents from throughout the San Gabriel Valley.