The National Safety Council is providing a new way for residents to dispose of their prescription drugs for free.
At this website, you can order a special envelope to mail your leftover prescription drugs to a company that is approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency and specializes in destroying drugs.
This is a great initiative that targets one of the main reasons our country is seeing so many people get addicted and overdose on prescription opioids: there are simply too many of these drugs sitting in medicine cabinets.
“Research indicates people who take opioid painkillers can quickly develop a dependence on this class of drug,” according to the National Safety Council’s informational website. “Yet, 70% of doctors prescribe highly addictive opioids for longer than the CDC recommends, according to a National Safety Council survey.
The envelopes are 8”x12” and DEA-compliant, and are designed to hold up to 8 oz. of medication, of which 4 oz. may be liquid in a sealed container. The company, Stericycle, will destroy the medication using a process that is secure and safe for the environment. Envelopes are U.S. postage-paid, pre-addressed and include complete instructions.
These envelopes are just one of a few options for disposing of prescription drugs—other ways to dispose are through a prescription drug dropbox in your area, a DEA Takeback event, or disposal pouches that destroy the drugs immediately. If you have leftover medications at home, properly dispose of them and do your part to make sure they can’t fall into the wrong hands.