Oregon Community and Family Coalition (OCFC) and the Oregon Police Department will host a Community Medication Drop-off Saturday, Sept. 25 at the City of Oregon Complex, 5330 Seaman Rd.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., unused, unwanted or expired medications may be dropped off for proper disposal. The service is free and anonymous and no questions will be asked.

The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” according to Dave Bensch, of OCFC. “Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

“Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet,” he said. “In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.”

The Oregon drug drop-off event is part of a nationwide Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) prescription drug ‘take-back’ initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft. Collection sites in other local communities can be found at www.dea.gov.

For more information, contact Dave Bensch at 419-720-1708 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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