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Politics & Government

Napa Agencies Net 750 Pounds of Drugs in Collection Event

At September's free pharmaceutical collection day in Napa, Yountville and American Canyon, residents dropped off more than 750 pounds of drugs as well as needles and "sharps," according to a Napa County announcement.

The Napa County Sheriff's Department and Queen of the Valley Medical Center collected more than 750 pounds of drugs in about four hours during the free pharmaceutical collection day for expired and unwanted medications Sept. 29, according to an email announcement from the county:

At collection sites in American Canyon and Yountville, the Sheriff's Dept collected 81 pounds of pills and other pharmaceuticals.

At the largest site, at Queen of the Valley Medical Center, staff collected 684 pounds of drugs and 846 pounds of needles and other sharps.

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Thank you to event partners Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Napa County, City of Napa, Napa Recycling & Waste Services and Napa Sanitation District, plus volunteers from Napa CanDo. 

Bookmark the Medicine page at the Napa Recycling & Waste Services site for information on how to recycle medicines year round and to find out about other special events.

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Authorities say medicines that languish in home cabinets create a public health and safety concern because they are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high--more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

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