New Community message from LASD

Community Message has been issued by the LASD - Altadena Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff.

Saturday September 25, 2010 7:40 AM PDT

Take-Back and Drop-off Unused Prescription Drugs on Sat., Sept 25 - Join the Nationwide Effort

Safely Drop-Off your unused prescription drugs today or any day, or join us in a special nationwide effort on Sat., Sept. 25 at any of these sheriff's stations of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. LASD Safe-Drug Drop-off boxes are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week in front of the below Los Angeles County Sheriff's patrol stations:


1. Carson Station
2. Century Station
3. Compton Station
4. Crescenta Valley Station
5. East Los Angeles Station
6. Industry Station
7. Lakewood Station
8. Lancaster Station
9. Lomita Station
10. Malibu / Lost Hills Station
11. Marina Del Rey Station
12. Norwalk Station
13. Palmdale Station
14. Pico Rivera Station
15. San Dimas Station
16. Santa Clarita Valley Station
17. Temple Station
18. Walnut / Diamond Bar Station
19. West Hollywood Station
20. South Los Angeles Station (Replaces Lennox Station)
1310 W. Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles 90044


Since the LASD started the Safe Drug Drop-off program one year ago, the public has shown a strong willingness to help protect the environment and reduce the possibility of unused prescription drugs falling into the wrong hands. Also, the attached chart reflects the number of syringes (sharps) collected during 2010, including an average of about 450 syringes (sharps) per month.

https://local.nixle.com/alert/3536026/?sub_id=80899



During this past year, the following has been collected by the LASD and disposed of in a safe manner:

9,546 pounds of prescription medications (nearly 5 tons)

4,520 pounds of used (512,662) syringes (2-1/4 tons)

6.1 pounds of Illicit Drugs


The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Diversion Control and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, want you to know about a nationwide effort to encourage people on Sat., Sept. 25, 2010, to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets.

To read about National Take-Back Day and to see additional sites where you can drop-off your unused prescription medication throughout the U.S., visit the DEA website at:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/

Note that most non-LASD locations listed on the DEA website are one-day, temporary locations available only on Sat., Sept. 25, 2010. Also, only LASD stations accept syringes (sharps).


In September of 2009, Sheriff Lee Baca was joined at Lomita Station by members of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, along with various city officials from the South Bay to promote the new “Safe Drug Drop-off” program.

A year later, this successful program continues to provide a unique opportunity for residents to safely and anonymously drop-off expired or unused prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, syringes (sharps), and any other controlled substances.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department participates in this program 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure that residents have a safe way to dispose of these items. The practice of flushing medicines down the drain can have an adverse impact on aquatic wildlife. Wastewater treatment plants are not able to test or treat for pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the drugs end up in our rivers, streams, lakes, groundwater systems and oceans.

Saving unused or expired medications can lead to improper and illegal use if they fall into the wrong hands. Children and others may access these medications from medicine cabinets and either use them inappropriately, sell them or give to others for illegal and unintended uses. A safer solution for the environment is to bring your old medications to the designated drug drop-off boxes available at twenty of our sheriff's stations listed above.


Click on this link to see the 2009 announcement of the LASD Safe Drug Drop-Off Program:

http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/lasd/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hLAwMDd3-nYCN3M19LA0_nEDPvMJMAQ_8QM6B8pFm8hQEEAOU93Qw8_d093QKMzY0MnMwJ6A4H2Ydbf5AJfnmQ-SB5AxzA0UDfzyM_N1W_IDfCIDMgXREAv8HHeQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfOTAwMEdPQlMyRzZNOTBJQ1Q2S1Y0UDFPMzA!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/lasd+content/lasd+site/home/news+room/news+crime+information/122a-09_mediascroll





Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/3573058/?sub_id=309492.