April 27, 2018
AG Laxalt and Statewide Opioid Coordinator Terry Kerns to Participate at LVMPD Northwest Area Command
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Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt and his Substance Abuse Working Group announced that the 15th National Prescription Drug Take-Back will take place on April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On this day, Nevadans have the opportunity to help prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs.
“Since the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated these Drug Take-Backs seven years ago, more than 4,500 tons of pharmaceuticals were safely collected and disposed of,” said Laxalt. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. continue to rise, and this initiative gives Nevadans the opportunity to actively reduce that threat. My Office’s participation in this program is just one piece of my all-of-the-above approach to reducing prescription drug and opiate abuse in Nevada.”
Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Nevadans are now advised that their usual methods for disposal of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Participating Nevadans may bring their pills for disposal to dedicated sites across Nevada. Liquids, needles and sharps cannot be accepted. The service is free and anonymous. For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or to view a collection site near you, click here.
AG Laxalt chairs Nevada’s Substance Abuse Working Group, a group created by Assembly Bill 61 that consists of nine appointed members. In addition to prevention and education efforts, the Working Group submitted information and recommendations related to the State’s substance abuse to the Nevada Legislature for consideration. In the 2017 Legislative Session, the Office of the Nevada Attorney General proposed Senate Bill 59 (SB 59), a bill that implements the recommendations of the Substance Abuse Working Group to combat prescription drug abuse in Nevada by requiring the reporting of controlled-substance violations, prescription drug-related overdoses or deaths, and reports of stolen prescription drugs to the Prescription Monitoring Program. SB 59 was passed by the Legislature and signed into law on May 30, 2017.
In October 2017, AG Laxalt launched his “Prescription for Addiction” opioid initiative to combat the use, abuse and misuse of prescription drugs in Nevada. The initiative uses non-taxpayer settlement dollars to purchase five drug incinerators to be installed in secure law enforcement stations, distribute anti-overdose drugs to first responders, allocate funding toward prevention and education efforts, and create an investigative position to assist with federal efforts to curb opioid abuse. Earlier this month, a drug incinerator was delivered and installed in- Hawthorne, Mineral County to assist certain rural counties safely incinerate prescription drugs.
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