Public Safety

Turn in Your Unwanted Meds

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Most people are not aware medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to winding up in the wrong hands and being misused. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

      RELATED: County Releases Prescription Drug Abuse Report Card

How can you help make sure that your expired or unwanted prescription medications aren’t stolen by a drug addict? Don’t just flush them down the toilet or throw them away, because some drugs are not safe for the environment.

The best thing to do is to turn them in and let law enforcement dispose of them safely as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. In San Diego County, there will be 42 sites accepting them including 12 being managed by San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies, one by the District Attorney’s Office and another by Probation staff. Please note that needles or sharps are not accepted. The service is free and anonymous.

Below are the County-managed locations or see the full list.

  • Alpine Sheriff’s Station, 2751 Alpine Blvd.

  • Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation, 388 East Alvarado St.

  • Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway (District Attorney)

  • Imperial Beach Sheriff’s Substation, 845 Imperial Beach Blvd.

  • Juvenile Hall, 2801 Meadow Lark Drive (Probation)

  • Kaiser Permanente, 400 Craven Road, San Marcos (Sheriff)

  • Lakeside Walgreen’s parking lot, 9728 Winter Gardens Blvd. (Sheriff)

  • Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Substation, 3240 Main St.

  • Poway Sheriff’s Station, 13100 Bowron Road

  • Ramona Albertson’s parking lot, 1459 Main St. (Sheriff)

  • Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station, 11486 Campo Road

  • Santee Walgreens parking lot, 10512 Mission Gorge Road (Sheriff)

  • Scripps Encinitas Hospital, 354 Santa Fe Drive (Sheriff)

  • Vista Walgreens parking lot, 310 Sycamore Ave. (Sheriff)

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact