NEWS RELEASE Contact: Chief Cynthia McAlister
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE cmcalister@purcellvilleva.gov
NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK UPDATE
PURCELLVILLE, Va., October 26, 2020 — This past Saturday, October 24th, was the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The Purcellville Police Department partnered with the Leesburg Police Department and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office to help prevent increased pill abuse and theft. Over 178 pounds of unused or expired medication was collected by the Purcellville Police Department, with a combined total of over 1427 pounds of potentially dangerous unwanted prescription drugs collected for safe destruction by Loudoun County law enforcement officials.
Since the introduction of the program in Loudoun County in 2010, over 13,500 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs have been collected. The take-back initiative is traditionally held twice each year during both the spring and fall. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. These unused and unwanted medications often fall into the wrong hands and are misused or abused, and this program ensures they are disposed of properly. In addition, a large portion of medications are often disposed of improperly such as flushing down the toilet or throwing them away- both potential safety and health hazards. The Purcellville Police Department would like to thank the community members who came out and dropped of their unwanted medications, thus helping to do their part to prevent prescription drug abuse.
As a reminder, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs everyday including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator. Locally, the Purcellville Pharmacy (609 E. Main Street #Q) accepts used sharps for disposal. Loudoun County residents may also place their used sharps, syringes, and hypodermic needs (from a household, and properly packaged) in the trash or brought to the Loudoun County Landfill for a fee. The sharps for the trash or landfill must be place in a sharps container or a rigid plastic bottle, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle, lid taped closed, and marked “do not recycle.” For further instructions, please see the Safe Needle Disposal flyer, or the Loudoun County Sharps Disposal Guidelines on their website.
The FDA also provides information on the disposal of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.
The Town of Purcellville, Virginia
“Purcellville-your small Town, where history and progress intersect and people prosper,” is an award-winning town of over 10,000 residents located in Loudoun County, approximately 50 miles west of Washington, DC. Having received the prestigious Siemens Sustainability Award for Small Communities, Purcellville continues to be honored for its green initiatives with most recently being the Tree City USA recipient for the 12th year. The Town was reaffirmed as a AAA rated community by S&P Global Ratings, the highest credit rating possible, and is recognized as one of the safest towns in Virginia. Once a stop along the W&OD rail line, which has been converted to a multi-use trail from Alexandria, VA to Purcellville, the Town has maintained its historic old-town feel through the restoration and maintenance of its many downtown structures, reflecting the Victorian architecture popular during the early 1900s. Today, Purcellville is the economic hub of western Loudoun County and a popular weekend destination for antiquing, equestrian activities, farmer’s markets, wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants. More info at www.purcellvilleva.gov.
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