The Biloxi Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are offering the public a chance to safely dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs, which often become sources of abuse.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public can visit the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center on Porter Avenue to drop off the pills as part of the DEA National RX Take Back Day. The service is free and anonymous.
No liquids, needles or sharps can be accepted, only pills or patches.
Last Fall, Americans turned in 469 tons (more than 937,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, the DEA and its partners have taken in more than 11.8 million pounds – approximately 5,900 tons – of pills.
Too often, unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs are found in the wrong hands. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medications being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. Â
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish 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 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.
See the Take Back Day flyer
Visit the Take Back Day website
News & notes: Cemetery tours, council, Halloween
Cemetery tours encore: A preview of the upcoming Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour will air again tonight and through October on BTV at 7 p.m. Tune in at www.biloxi.ms.us/btv, or in Biloxi on Sparklight 56 or Uverse 99. The showing will be followed by a recording of 2019 Biloxi Cemetery Tours. To see the tour flyer, click here.
Council recording: Tuesday’s Biloxi City Council meeting was recorded and airs on BTV daily at 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. The video recording may also be seen on the city’s YouTube channel. To see the hour and 22-minute recording, click here.
Halloween on Howard: The Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department and Biloxi Main Street will host Halloween on Howard, a drive-thru trick or treating event on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The free event will travel along Howard from Porter to Main Street. Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles while trick or treating. To see the event flyer, click here.
