Prescription Take Back Day is Saturday

Do you have old prescriptions in your medicine cabinet? Don't flush them or risk them falling into the wrong hands. Dispose of them properly on the fourth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012. The initiative is an effort to help local residents rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Medications may be brought for disposal between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on April 28 to your nearest Louisiana State Police Troop.  This service is free and anonymous, no questions or requests for identification will be made.  This is a great opportunity for those who have accumulated unwanted or unused prescription drugs to safely dispose of them.  Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.

-        Controlled (those substances which require a doctor’s prescription), non-controlled, and over the counter substances will be collected.

-        All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process. Law enforcement personnel will not handle the medications at any time.

-        Participants may dispose of medication in its original container, or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual should remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

-        All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in the original container. Make sure the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

-        Syringes, intravenous solutions, injectables, and illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamines are not part of this initiative, and should not be placed in collection containers.

At the first National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, Americans brought approximately 121 tons of prescription drugs to nearly 4,100 sites operated by DEA agents and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.  This effort was extremely successful in removing and safely disposing of prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances.  The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second, only to marijuana, as the most common form of drug abuse in America.  The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

The Troop addresses are listed below for your convenience:

Troop A
17801 Highland Road
Kenner, LA 70810
(225) 754-8500

Troop B
2101 I-10 Service Road
Kenner, LA 70065
(504) 471-2775

Troop C
4047 West Park Avenue
Gray, LA 70359
(985) 857-3680

Troop D
805 Main Street
Lake Charles, LA 70615
(337) 491-2511

Troop E
1710 Odom Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
(318) 487-5911

Troop F
1240 LA 594
Monroe, LA 71203
(318) 345-0000

Troop G
5300 Industrial Drive Extension
Bossier City, LA 71112
(318) 741-7411

Troop I
121 East Pont De Mouton
Lafayette, LA 70507
(337) 262-5880

Troop L
2600 North Causeway
Mandeville, LA 70471
(985) 893-6250

Any questions about directions or nearest Troop locations, visiting our website, www.LSP.org, or dial *LSP (*577) from your cellular phone.  For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to:
-www.dea.gov
-www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com
-www.justthinktwice.com