Prescription Drop-Off Day - May 11, 2013

On Saturday May 11, 2013, the Toronto Police Service in partnership with Toronto Public Health will be hosting the Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day at five locations throughout the city.   Attached are the promotional materials relating to the events. 

               

LOCATIONS

·         Sherway Gardens, 25 The West Mall (Door 7, between The Bay and Sporting Life)

·         31 Division, 40 Norfinch Drive

·         43 Division,  4331 Lawrence Avenue East

·         Loblaw’s at 396 St Clair Avenue West

·         Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West

For more information about the Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day Initiative:  www.torontopolice.on.ca/rxdrop2013

Frequently asked questions

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, the Toronto Police Service in partnership with Toronto Public Health will be hosting the city's first Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day.

This event will have five locations across the city where members of the public can dispose of any unwanted or expired medication. Each site will be staffed by Toronto Police Service officers, Toronto Public Health nurses and pharmacology students who will take prescription drugs, narcotics or over the counter medications and dispose of them in a safe and secure way.

The misuse of any medication is a significant public health and safety concern. Rates of recreational misuse of medication by young people are a critical issue. According to the Ontario Student Drug Use Health Survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in 2011, 14.3% of students, grades 7-12, admitted to using prescription drugs for non-medicinal use and 8% admitted to using over the counter cold medication to get high. Many of these young people will get these medications from home. If you are a parent or caregiver, you have a responsibility to ensure you properly dispose of your unused or expired medication.

This is not just an issue for young people. Many seniors are taking multiple prescriptions and managing appropriate doses, expiry dates and cross contaminations can be confusing. If you have a friend or family member who is in this position, Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day is an excellent opportunity to review their prescriptions and make appropriate disposals.

These events are also supported by various environmental initiatives. For example, the Government of Ontario's Ministry of the Environment has filed a regulation making the pharmaceutical industry responsible for ensuring that services are in place for consumers to return their unused medications. 

According to Health Canada, there is growing evidence that inappropriately disposing of medication results in chemical components being added to water and soil and may affect aquatic life and human health. As a result of this regulation, there are now 3,000 pharmacies in Ontario collecting medications and prescriptions at any time.From a policing perspective, the misuse of medications - prescription or over the counter - can and often leads to criminal behaviour such as health care fraud; robbery; driving under the influence; and drug trafficking. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police are supporting the Government of Canada's National Framework on Prescription Drug Misuse. It is hoped that partnering with local and provincial health agencies to establish Prescription Drug Drop-Off Days will lessen the impact of medication misuse on police resources.

Other jurisdictions have had success with Prescription Drug Drop-Off Days. In 2012, an initiative by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency resulted in 276 tonnes of pharmaceuticals being handed in across the country. Also in 2012, Niagara Region hosted its first Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day attended by more than 420 vehicles and over 400 kilograms of medication were collected.

Help us deliver a successful event by attending a drop-off location near you. Bring us your unwanted or expired medication for proper disposal. Together we can create safer, healthier homes for our families.