Roughly 46,000 Americans die each year from drug-related deaths, according to the DEA. More than half of those are from prescription opioids and heroin.
I have a confession to make. I was a medication hoarder. I had a stockpile of old bottles of Abilify and Paxil and Wellbutrin and Neurontin, none of which I take anymore. Because what if I need something again? That was my rationale for keeping them. Deep in the attic of my brain, I thought it was a good idea to keep them around for a rainy day — a rainy day for a suicide attempt. I won’t get into details, but I did have a suicide attempt and my ex-boyfriend witnessed it. He flushed everything down the toilet. I’m not a hoarder anymore and I never have suicidal thoughts. But flushing meds down the toilet isn’t the proper way to dispose of medication. Here’s three ways you can get rid of your old medication responsibly. A few Do’s and Don’ts:
1. The best choice: Find a take-back location. The American Medicine Chest Challenge has created a national directory of prescription collection sites throughout the U.S.
“With four out of five new heroin users starting with prescription medications, I know our take-back program makes a real difference,” DEA administrator Chuck Rosenberg said in a press release.
2. Don’t flush your old pills down the toilet.
Traces of antidepressants have been found in fish that swim in streams near sewage treatment facilities. When fish absorb Prozac, for example, males become aggressive, even killing females. Females also produce fewer eggs. So dumping medication properly is tantamount to protecting our environment.
3. Don’t bury them in the backyard. But do throw them in the trash — properly.
Mix the medication with an undesirable substance like dirt, kitty litter, or coffee grounds to prevent anyone from wanting to still take the pills. Then put the mixture in a container, like a large zip-top bag, and throw it in the garbage. Be sure to take your empty pill bottles and scratch out the personal information so that no one can return to the pharmacy and collect a refill.
According to President Obama, four out of five heroin addicts start out with prescription opioids. “More Americans now die every year from drug overdoses than they do in car crashes,” he said in a weekly video address last year. “And most of those deaths aren’t due to drugs like cocaine or heroin – but rather prescription drugs.”
In 2013 alone, ODs from prescription pain meds killed more than 16,000 Americans. That’s 16,000 people that didn’t need to die. Which is why you should follow the rules and dispose of your medicine properly. You can find a take-back location near you here.
