CHESAPEAKE
Today, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Virginia State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to participate in the National Drug Take-Back Initiative, to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

The Virginia State Police are hosting sites at Division Headquarters across the state. You can bring your pills for disposal to a collection site near you. To locate a collection site near, simply go to the DEA website site. You can search by zip code for a collection site near you or call. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Six of the closest sites for Western Tidewater:

Newport News Police Department Central Precint, 611 Dresden Drive, Newport News;

• Chesapeake Police Department 3rd Precinct, 949 N. George Washington Highway;
• Chesapeake Police Department 4th Precinct, 4764 Station House Road;
• CVS Pharmacy, 2100 S. Crater Road, Petersburg;
• Walmart Super Center No. 2160 parking lot, 3500 S. Crater Road, Petersburg; and
• Surry County Circuit Court House parking lot, 28 Colonial Trail East in the town of Surry.

Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take-Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds more than 4,050 tons of pills.

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. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. 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.

For more information about the disposal locations for prescription drugs or about the Oct. 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion Website, https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/. The Virginia State Police Hampton Roads site will be at 1557 S. Military Highway, Chesapeake, Virginia, 23320.