East Providence To Participate In Drug Take Back Day

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — The City of East Providence will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 20th Take Back Day on Saturday, April 24 from 10a.m. to 2p.m. at the East Providence Police Station, located at 750 Waterman Avenue.

The event, which is a partnership between the DEA, City of East Providence, the East Providence Police Department, and the East Providence Prevention Coalition (EPPC), will give residents the opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a nationwide increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 83,544 Americans overdosing during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2020.

“Medicines that languish in home medicine cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse and theft. Rates of prescription drug misuse are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs,” said EPPC Coordinator Madeline Marlow in a statement. “We must do all that we can to stem overdose fatalities and reduce access to these substances.”

At the Take Back Day event, East Providence police will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs, liquids, intravenous solutions, syringes, and other sharps. Illegal drugs will not be accepted. Take Back Day is free, confidential, anonymous, and environmentally friendly.

More information about the Take Back Day event can be found here. For more information regarding substance misuse prevention, contact the EPPC at eppc@eastprovidenceri.gov or call 401-435-1923 x 11190.