2021 Prescription Drug Take Back
Safe! Confidential! Convenient! Free!
We are celebrating DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 24, 2021! The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
For the Pointe Coupee community, we have a take-back box, the Medsafe medication disposal, which is available 7 days a week, from 6:00 AM until 8:00 PM. It is located on the first floor near the Laboratory Department’s entrance.
All medications will be accepted at this event. Scheduled medications should be in a container in order to be disposed. Come join us as we tackle the opioid epidemic together!
Those suffering from addiction and seeking assistance are encourage to reach out to Pointe Coupee Human Services Center. PCHSC specializes in appropriate, effective, community-based prevention, treatment, and assessment/referral services for individuals faced with chemical use problems.
Opioid Overdose Deaths – United States
From 1999-2017, almost 400,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids.
This rise in opioid overdose deaths can be outlined in three distinct waves.
1. The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids (natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone) increasing since at least 1999.
2. The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin.
3. The third wave began in 2013, with significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids – particularly those involving illicitly-manufactured fentanyl (IMF). The IMF market continues to change, and IMF can be found in combination with heroin, counterfeit pills, and cocaine.
