Orland Park Police Department Participates in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Residents are encouraged to clean out medicine cabinets to keep dangerous drugs from falling into the wrong hands

The Orland Park Police Department joins law enforcement agencies across the country for the annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 26.

Residents are encouraged to drop off no longer needed prescription medications to the Orland Park Police Station on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The station is located at 15100 South Ravinia Avenue.

“We invite and encourage everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of what they no longer need,” said Police Chief Eric Rossi. “In addition to the twice-yearly national drug take-back event, the Orland Park Police Department collects prescription drugs year-round to make sure these drugs do not end up in the wrong hands.”

Unused drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal consumption and pose an unacceptable risk to public health and safety. The Orland Park Police Department coordinates its effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to bring national focus to the issue of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.

The confidential and anonymous service is free of charge. Syringes, sharps, needles, glass containers, any type of liquids or illegal drugs will not be accepted. Instructions for how to safety dispose of sharps or syringes are available by calling Waste Management at (800) 964-8988.

The April 2024 National Take Back Day brought in 670,136 pounds (335 tons) of unused or expired prescription medication. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 18,570,487 pounds (9,285 tons).

The Police Department’s ongoing collection enables residents to turn in unwanted prescription medications at the Orland Park Police Station Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Prescriptions are not accepted on holidays and liquid drugs, aerosol medications and hypodermic needles and syringes are not accepted. There is no charge to participate and all disposals are confidential and anonymous.

For more information about the event visit dea.gov/takebackday.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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