Annual Drug Take-Back Initiative

April 25, 2017

Two-thirds of people age 12 and older (68%) who have abused prescription pain relievers within the past year say they got them from a friend or relative, according to a summary of national findings by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). More than 1,600 teens begin abusing prescription drugs each day, according to the study.

In an effort to reduce these numbers, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will conduct a Drug Take Back event at the following locations:

Saturday, April 29, 2017
9 a.m. until noon

Meridianville – CVS on US 231/431
Harvest – CVS at Highway 53 and Jeff Road
Madison – CVS Winchester Road and Homer Nance
Madison – Madison Police Department, 100 Hughes Road
Huntsville – JC building at 2180 Airport Road

Bring old, outdated, used, and no longer wanted Rx Prescription medicines or over the counter drugs for proper disposal. Let's keep these items out of our water and sewer system and out of the hands of those unauthorized to have them. Vitamins and pet medications can also be disposed at these events. Please no used or unpackaged syringes, radioactive medicines, or medicines from commercial businesses.

• More than 1,600 teens begin abusing prescription drugs each day.
• Many kids mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer to abuse than illegal street drugs.
• After marijuana and alcohol, the most common drugs teens are misusing or abusing are prescription medications.
• 12-17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy, heroin, crack/cocaine and methamphetamines combined.
• Two-thirds of people 12 and older (68%) who have abused prescription pain relievers within the past year say they got them from a friend or relative.
• The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain medications, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications and stimulants (used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders).
• Almost 1 in every 4 teens in America say they have misused or abused a prescription drug.
• One in five teens (20%) who have abused prescription drugs did so before the age of 14.
• 9% of teens in a recent study reported using prescription pain relievers not prescribed for them in the past year, and 5% (1 in 20) reported doing so in the past month.

Source: SAMHSA 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48; and The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids