Canby Police Department

Press Release

May 11, 2010 9:26 PM

Drug Prescription Turn-in Program

In partnership with Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and Canby Telcom, the Canby Police Department will be hosting a Prescription Drug Turn-in Event on Saturday, May 22, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Canby Police Department located at 122 N. Holly St., Canby, Oregon. Citizens will be able to drive up to the police department and anonymously drop off prescription medications. Officers will collect and safely dispose of unused and expired prescription drugs, raising awareness about prescription drug abuse among teens and young adults, while reducing pollution in our waterways.

PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE STARTS AT HOME

The Prescription Drug Turn-in is an effort to prevent the misuse of drugs, raise awareness of the dangers of unused prescription drugs and the increase of abuse among teens. Parents are in a unique position to immediately reduce teen access to prescription drugs found in the home by disposing of them properly. More teens abuse prescription drugs than any other illicit drug except marijuana.

The majority of teens who abuse prescription drugs obtain them primarily from friends and relatives - including their own home medicine cabinet. Teens report their parents are not discussing the dangers of prescriptions, even though research shows that parental disapproval is a powerful way to keep teens from using drugs.

KEEP DRUGS OUT OF OUT WATER SUPPLY

In a national study of 139 waterways and streams in 30 states, drugs were found in 80 percent of the water samples. While there is no evidence of risk to human health, these products contain compounds detected in trace amounts in aquatic systems downstream for our wastewater treatment plants.

Drugs can reach waterways by flushing drugs down the toilet into sewers, septic systems, and trash disposal. Not all drugs can be treated at traditional wastewater treatment plants, resulting in leaching into surface water or infiltrating groundwater. For more information, please contact the Canby Police Department at 503-266-1104 or www.ci.canby.or.us.

Contact Info: Lt. Jorge Tro