Staff reports 10:42 a.m.
Monday, March 31, 2025 10:45 am

Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

ROCHESTER - The Rochester Police Department will hold a Drug Takeback Day on April 26 offering the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by disposing of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Anyone can bring pills for disposal to the Rochester Police Department at 23 Wakefield St. in Rochester, between 10 a.m. and noon.

Items that cannot be accepted include liquids, needles, or sharps--only pills or patches.

This service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

• The DEA will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only if the batteries are removed from the devices. Please be aware that neither the Police Department nor the DEA is responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.
• If the battery cannot be removed, consumers can check with large electronic chain stores, which may accept vape pens or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal.
• Consumers may also contact their local Hazardous Materials Management Facility for guidance on whether they accept these devices and how to properly dispose of them.

Drug Takeback Day is important because it addresses a critical public health and safety issue. Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Prescription drug abuse rates in the U.S. remain alarmingly high, as does the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses related to these medications, according to the DEA. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health repeatedly shows that most misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often taken from home medicine cabinets.

Furthermore, Americans are now advised that common methods of disposing of unused medications--such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash--can pose significant safety and health risks.

For more information about prescription drug disposal, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.