Rockport Police Encourage Residents to Participate in National Secure Your Meds Campaign

National Drug Take Back Day Postponed

ROCKPORT — Chief John Horvath and the Rockport Police Department would like to encourage residents to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Secure Your Meds campaign during the current stay-at-home advisory.

With families across the nation encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing due to COVID-19, the DEA launched the campaign to raise awareness about medicines in home cabinets that are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. 

Rates of prescription drug misuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. From 1999 to 2018, more than 232,000 people died in the United States from overdoses involving to prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC). Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets.

The Rockport Police Department usually participates in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day twice per year. However, the 2020 Spring Take Back Day originally scheduled for April 25 has been postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the national Take Back Day is postponed, residents who still wish to drop off their unused, unwanted or expired prescription medicine can still do so at the kiosk located in the lobby of the Rockport Police Department, 168 Main St. The kiosk is available to the public 24/7.

Until residents can properly dispose of their prescription medications, Rockport Police encourage residents to partake in the campaign by ensuring their prescription medicines are kept safe and secure during the stay-at-home advisory.

“We want to ensure residents are taking part in this campaign and securing potentially harmful prescription drugs that they may have in their homes,” said Chief Horvath. “Residents can still drop off any unused prescription medication at our department kiosk. Anyone who chooses to do so must utilize proper social distancing and wear a face covering.”

More information on the Secure Your Meds campaign and Take Back Day is available at www.DEATakeBack.com.

The DEA has also created an English language promotional video and a Spanish promotional video for the campaign.

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