Prevent prescription drug theft and abuse by dropping off unwanted pills Saturday at at either of two Seal Beach Police Department collection sites.
According to police, medicines left unused in home cabinets are "highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse."
The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. collection is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
- Seal Beach Police Department, 911 Seal Beach Blvd, Seal Beach
- Leisure World, Clubhouse 4, 1419 Northwood Road (Leisure World residents only)
For more information, call Sergeant Steve Bowles at (562) 799-4100 Ext. 1160 or email him at SBowles@sealbeachca.gov
Also throughout the county, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will also collect from the public expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Other collection sites
- Sheriff's Substation, 11 Journey, Aliso Viejo
- Laguna Hills City Hall, 24035 El Toro Rd., Laguna Hills
- Laguna Niguel City Hall, 30111 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel
- Mission Viejo City Hall, 200 Civic Center, Mission Viejo
- San Clemente Police Services, 100 Avenida Presidio, San Clemente
- San Juan Capistrano City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano
- Woodgate Park Parkwood Court, Yorba Linda
The OCSD reports that 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.
More than 7 million people aged 12 and older abused prescription drugs in 2010, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Nearly one in five teens has taken a prescription medication to get high, without having his or her own prescription, reports DrugFree.org.
Every day 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time, according to OCSD. National studies show the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from friends and relatives, including the home medicine cabinet, police said.
Flushing medicines down the toilet or throwing them in the trash both pose potential safety and health hazards, according to the OCSD.
Last April, Americans turned in 552,161 pounds—276 tons—of prescription drugs at more than 5,600 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,300 state and local law enforcement partners, according to the OCSD.
In its four previous collection events, DEA and its partners took in over 1.5 million pounds—nearly 775 tons—of pills.
