Drug Take Back Program a Success Police Say

Got any drugs? 

Chances are you do, and they are just laying around your house—from old pain pills left over from a knee surgery, to expired cold medication from two winters ago when you had the flu. The stuff tends to build up in our medicine cabinets, but what do you do with the leftovers?

For years, the wisdom was to simply flush them down the toilet for easy and safe disposal. But with concern over the medications ending up the water system, new schools of thought have come about.

In 2010, the Drug Enforcement Agency spearheaded it's first National Drug Take Back day to reclaim expired or unused medications from the bathroom closets of citizens. Due to the success of the program, this year saw the second take-back day on April 30.

This year, the La Grange Park Police Department also participated, and now hopes to continue the program next year, due to it's success. Cmdr. Ed Rompa of the La Grange Park Police Department said that the station saw between 150-175 people come in the station to safely dispose of unwanted medications. 

"[The program] was very successful," Rompa said. "We're planning to continue it next year as well. I think it was of benefit to the community."

In particular, Rompa said he believes the program helps keep the medications from ending up in the ecosystem. 

According to the DEA, the first National Drug Take Back Day resulted in the public properly disposing of more that 121 tons of pills.

Miss the date? No worries, most pharmacies has a drug take back program as well. Just drop off the old ones when you go in for a refill.