Letter to the Editor: Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet!

Dear Editor,

With National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day [Friday], it’s an ideal time to remind our community of the dangers of keeping unused or expired medications at home. Improperly stored medications can lead to accidental poisoning, misuse or even illegal distribution. According to DrugAbuseStatistics.org, 4 out of 5 pharmacy-filled prescriptions are opioids, which increases the risk of addiction and misuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration also reports that most misused prescription drugs come from family and friends, often from their own medicine cabinets.

Improper disposal of medications also harms the environment. Flushing them or throwing them away can contaminate water sources and soil, damaging ecosystems. By disposing of medications safely, we protect both our families and the environment.

We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to check their medicine cabinets and discard expired or unused prescriptions. Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens offer disposal bins, and you can search online for local drop-off locations. Alternatively, consider using Deterra Drug Deactivation [System] Pouches, which safely render medications inert and allow disposal in regular trash. If you are interested in obtaining some pouches you can contact our Prevention Resource Center Director Sally Blixt, sblixt@bhsst.org, 956-787-7111 or contact STARR Pharmacy.

Our local coalitions—Uniting Neighbors in Drug Awareness and Diversion (UNIDAD, Hidalgo County), Positive Community Impact (PCI, Cameron County) and Communities Advancing Support and Awareness (CASA, Willacy County)—are committed to substance use prevention and promoting safe medication disposal. We collaborate with various locations to provide anonymous, secure medication drop boxes. We urge our community members to use these authorized disposal sites or attend local take-back events. Together, we can reduce prescription drug misuse, protect our environment and keep our homes safe.

For more information on drop-box locations and disposal practices, visit bhsst.org/latest-news/drop-box-locations.

Sincerely,

Jose Medina

Media Specialist