From Reno Police:
On April 30th, 2016, local and federal agencies will once again partner together to sponsor the Prescription Drug Round Up event in Washoe County. Since the area’s first event in the fall of 2009, the Round Ups in Washoe County have collected over 1.6 million prescription pills. More than 230,000 of those pills were in categories that are commonly diverted and abused, such as painkillers, depressants and stimulants.
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the US, having claimed 47,055 lives in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 18,893 overdose deaths attributed to prescription pain relievers in 2014 . A primary factor in this problem is the fact that prescription medications are so readily available -- the majority of all people who abuse prescription painkillers get them from friends or family for free . The Prescription Drug Round Up event seeks to reduce the available supply of excess prescription drugs, while also raising awareness in the community about this epidemic.
Medications – including household prescription and over the counter pills and liquids – can be dropped off at the Round Up event with no questions asked. Citizens are asked to bring medications in their original containers if possible, and may mark out the patient’s name if they wish. Prescription waste or expired/surplus medications from medical offices or pharmaceutical companies or their representatives are not accepted at this event. In addition, volunteers from Northern Nevada HOPES and the Northern Nevada Outreach Team will be collecting residential sharps and providing information to the community about proper syringe disposal.
Round Up Locations April 30th 10:00am – 2:00pm:
Raleys - 18144 Wedge Parkway, Reno
Walgreens - 10370 N. McCarran Blvd, Reno
Save Mart– 4995 Kietzke Lane, Reno
CVS - 680 N. McCarran Blvd, Sparks
CVS – 5151 Sparks Blvd, Sparks
Walmart – 250 Vista Knoll Parkway, Reno
Incline Village Community Hospital – 880 Alder Ave, Incline Village
Citizens are also encouraged to join in the fight against prescription drug abuse and overdose by responsibly handling their medications in the future. Medications should be kept in a secure, locked location so that they cannot be accessed by anyone other than the patient they are prescribed to. Sharing or selling of prescription medications not only extremely dangerous, it is also illegal. By reducing the available supply of prescription drugs for abuse, we can save lives in our community.
For those not able to make it to the Round-Up event, permanent prescription drug drop boxes are available at local police departments. Law enforcement would like to remind the community that these drop boxes only accept pills; they do not accept liquids or needles. For information about how to dispose of needles, please contact Northern Nevada HOPES at 786-4673.
The drug drop boxes are available during regular business hours at the following locations:
• Reno Police Department – 455 E. 2nd Street, Reno
• Sparks Police Department – 1701 East Prater Way, Sparks
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Office – 911 Parr Blvd., Reno
Additional information on the proper disposal of unused or unwanted prescription drugs can be located at www.jtnn.org. If you have any questions regarding the Round-Up event or the drop boxes, you are encouraged to call Stacy Ward, Prevention & Education Coordinator for the Reno Police Department at 657-4794.
From Reno Police
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From Truckee Police:
On April 30th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Truckee Police Department and the TT-FWDD (Tahoe Truckee Future Without Drug Dependence) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Gateway Shopping Center parking lot in front of Safeway at 11290 Donner Pass Rd (the area facing Donner Pass Road). Please remove pills from their containers or black out any personal information. Sharps, aerosols, and illicit drugs are not accepted. This event is for residents only; no businesses or DEA registrants.
