CRESTVIEW — From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27, Okaloosa County Sheriffs’ Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration drug takeback gives residents a chance to turn in medications free and anonymously at Walmarts in Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville.
Last September, Americans turned in 244 tons of prescription drugs at over 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its five previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in more than 2 million pounds — over a thousand tons — of pills.
Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act.
Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sheriff's office and DEA drug takeback April 27