Want to Help Save a Life This October 22?

Your cooperative employees and members can participate in National Prescription Drug Take-back Day this October 22 by bringing in unused and unneeded prescription drugs that may be sitting around in your medicine cabinets. This initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications, in particular opioids. Opioids are drugs including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl.

Every year, more people in the U.S. die from a drug overdose than from a traffic accident, and more than 60% of these deaths involve an opioid. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the rate of opioid-related deaths from an overdose in non-metropolitan counties is 45% higher than in urban counties.

What Can You Do?
Limiting the number of unneeded opioids and other prescription medicines lying around is one way to make a positive impact. Over 6.4 million pounds of drugs have been collected over the last eleven annual Take-back Days. Find a Take-back location near you here.