This drug take-back program article was published in 2013. In 2020, there is a website that shows regular take-back locations in Maine. Your town might do a special take-back day, but these places are available year-round.
Drug take-back locations were announced for MidCoast Maine for Saturday, April 27, 2013. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. local authorities, in partnership with community organizations, will hold a drug take-back collection. Bring your unused, unwanted and expired medications, including pet medications, to sites for environmentally-safe disposal. Medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, will be collected locally, and then taken into custody by the DEA to properly dispose of them in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. The service is free and anonymous.
Local locations for Drug Take-Back Medication Collections
• West Bath Fire Department, 192 State Rd, West Bath
• Richmond Senior Center, 314 Front S., Richmond
• McLellan Building, 85 Union St., Brunswick
• Harpswell Town Office, 263 Mountain Rd, Harpswell
• Topsham Municipal Facility, 100 Main St. Topsham
Drug take-back programs insure proper medication disposal, vital to public safety and public health. Medicines that stay in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses. The majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, we now understand that the traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines, by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, both pose significant environmental and related health hazards. Drug take-back programs safely dispose of old or unneeded drugs.
The Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allowed DEA to develop permanent, ongoing, and responsible methods for disposal of medications. The Act aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications in the home.
Here’s more information about the FDA Drug Take-Back Program.