National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, April 24, and West River Valley Thrives invites community members to take part in this national campaign to curb the opioid epidemic and end prescription drug abuse.
Take-Back Day is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and was created to address the crucial public safety and public health issue of prescription drug misuse.
According to the DEA, more than 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs in 2018, the majority of which were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Locally, a 2018 survey of students in grades 7 through 10 in Windham County found that 63 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “My family has prescription drugs in the house, and I could get to them if I wanted.”
You can dispose of your medication safely in one of these local permanent drop box locations: Windham County Sheriff's Office, 11 Jail St., Newfane; Brattleboro Police Department, 62 Black Mountain Rd.; Wilmington Police Department, 2 East Main St.; and Bellows Falls Police Department, 170 Rockingham St.
West River Valley Thrives will also provide secure postage-paid envelopes for area residents as a contact-free way to dispose of prescription drugs.
For more information or to request a mail-in bag, email [email protected].