ATG 2022-35 PRESS RELEASE National Prescription Drug Recovery Day

HONOLULU – The Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) of the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Safety, in partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other law enforcement agencies law enforcement encourage the public to return their unused or expired medications safely. , an anonymous elimination as part of its National Take-Back Initiative (NTBI) program.

Collection points are located in Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the island of Hawaii and are open:

Saturday, October 29, 2022

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

This is the second and final recovery for 2022. The April event resulted in the collection and disposal of 4,000 books of unused and expired prescriptions for the DEA District of Hawaii, which includes Guam . A total of 60,000 books have been collected since 2010.

Most NTBI locations will be run as drive-thrus for the ease and convenience of the public. You do not need to remove labels or take pills out of containers. Just throw them in a disposable bag and drop them off at drive-thru outlets. This service is free and anonymous – no questions asked. All forms of medication will be accepted.

Please do not include syringes, they will not be accepted. Vaping devices with the batteries removed will be accepted.

“The National Retrieval Initiative began as a way to properly dispose of potentially hazardous drugs to help keep our ohana as well as our environment safe. Please join DEA and our partners in Hawaii on October 29^e by ridding our communities of any unused, unnecessary, or expired medications you may have,” said Victor Vazquez, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Honolulu District Office.

“Safe storage and disposal are ways to prevent abuse and accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Nationally, two-thirds of teens who have abused painkillers say they got them from family and friends, including medicine cabinets in their homes,” said the Hawaii Attorney General, Holly T. Shikada. “Let’s work together to keep our young people and our community safe.

“Proper disposal of unwanted medications in the home reduces the possibility of these medications harming others or the environment. The Department of Public Safety joins the DEA and its other partners in urging everyone to return their unwanted drugs to the various repossession locations on October 29, 2022,” said the Administrator of the Division of Countermeasures. narcotics, Jared Redulla.

Unused or expired medicines should be properly disposed of when no longer needed for

which it was prescribed.

• Medicines can lose their effectiveness after the expiry date.
• The inappropriate use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as the use of illicit drugs.
• Having unused or expired medicines at home increases the risk of

poisoning. Households with children or the elderly are particularly vulnerable to

this danger.

• People may confuse one type of medicine with another; or the kids can be wrong

medicine for sweets.

Medicines should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Correct

disposal reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or

may harm aquatic life. Additional information can be found at dea.gov.

For a list of collection sites, visit ag.hawaii.gov or takebackday.dea.gov.

If you are unable to participate in the National Recovery Initiative, a list of medications to take

Return box locations are available at hawaiiopioid.org

For more information contact:

Gary H. Yamashiroya

Special Assistant to the Attorney General

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

Twitter: @ATGHIGov

Valérie Mariano, section head

Community and Crime Prevention Branch

Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division

(808) 586-1444

E-mail: [email protected]