Kane County police departments and the Sheriff’s Office are participating in the National Prescription Dug Take Back Day, generally held form 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at offices that offer that service.

The Drug Enforcement Administration holds the event twice annually, and Kane County departments have taken part for many years. See below for the DEA’s list of Kane County sites that will be open this weekend.

The DEA’s list typically is not all-inclusive, so check your city or village police department website for more information.

In May, the DEA and more than 4,200 of its law enforcement and community partners collected more unused prescription drugs than at any of the 12 previous National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events.

On Saturday, April 29, the event brought in 900,386 pounds (450 tons) at close to 5,500 sites across the nation. Since  2010, these events have altogether collected 8,103,363 pounds (4,052 tons) of prescription drugs.

Aurora

SOURCE: Aurora Facebook page

The Oct. 28 takeback is the 14th in seven years which aim to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your pills for disposal to the Aurora Police Deptartment, 1200 E. Indian Trail. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps — only pills or patches.

Did you know that 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.

Geneva

Police Participating In Drug Take-Back Program Oct. 28

The Geneva Police Department will be working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in collecting expired or unwanted prescription medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 as part of the National Drug Take-Back Day.

People can turn in their medications throughout the day to the records specialist at the front desk of the Police Department, 20 Police Plaza. The following pills or patches that will be accepted include:

• Prescription medications
• Medication samples
• Over-the-counter medications
• Vitamins
• Pet medications
• Non-controlled DEA drugs

Pills should be removed from their original container by pouring them directly into a plastic bag. People should take any empty prescription bottles and boxes that may contain any personal information back home.

The Police Department will not be accepting any liquids, ointments, illegal substances/narcotics, thermometers, IV bags, sharps/needles, bloody or infectious waste, and empty containers.

This is the 14th time in seven years Geneva Police have participated in the drug-take back program for the public. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. After 2 p.m. Oct. 28, the Police Department will revert to its current practice of accepting unused medication from only Geneva residents.

Started in 2010, this initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. These medications should not be flushed down the toilet or sink because they could end up in local drinking water supplies. By turning in old medications, people are preventing pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs, visit the DEA’s website.

St. Charles

St. Charles Police Department Hosting Prescription Drug Take Back Event Oct. 28

The St. Charles Police Department is hosting a prescription drug drop-off event open to the general public on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Charles Police Station, 211 N. Riverside Ave. The event is part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Anyone can drop off unused prescription pills or patches in the lobby during this event. All drop-offs should be removed from their bottles and packaging.

Needles, sharps, liquids, inhalers, and pressurized containers will not be accepted. Additionally, drop-offs from commercial or medical entities will not be accepted.

The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked. While the St. Charles Police Department has this drop-off service available year-round for residents, this event is open to the general public and will not be restricted to St. Charles residents.

The DEA warns that unused medicines that sit in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse.

“Home prescription drug misuse and abuse has become a vital health and public safety issue,” said Deputy Police Chief Dave Kintz. “Commonly abused prescription drugs can be found in many home medicine cabinets, so it’s important to properly dispose of them if they are no longer needed.”

The DEA also warns that flushing some medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash could pose potential environmental hazards.

For more information on the DEA National Drug Take Back Day, visit the DEA Diversion website or contact Deputy Chief Kintz at 630.443.3740 or dkintz@stcharlesil.gov.

Drug Take-Back Day in Kane County

SOURCE: DEA website