Because this Saturday, April 27, is National Drug Take-Back Day, Chapman House is releasing a list of the collection sites that will be set up throughout Orange County from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.  Every year, drug abuse kills nearly 700 county residents and sends another 5400 to the hospital.

National Drug Take-Back Day is a chance for every citizen to do their part in helping remove dangerous drugs of abuse from homes and communities around the country.

Since the twice-a-year program’s inception in 2010, take-back sites in California have collected almost one million pounds of unused or expired medications.  The most-recent  Take-Back Day, held in October 2018, took in over 69,000 pounds in California and 900,000 pounds altogether.

Why Is National Drug Take-Back Day Necessary?

Just as it is throughout the rest of the many states, prescription drug abuse presents  a significant threat to public safety and health in Orange County.  Medication misuse and drug addiction result in:

• Accidental poisonings – 2 out of every 3 accidental overdoses are due to prescription medications or a mixture of prescription and illicit drugs.
• Fatal overdoses – 56% of opioid-related overdose deaths in Orange County involve prescription painkillers.
• Suicides – Prescription medications are involved in 88% of intentional overdoses.

What Kind of Prescription Drugs are Being Abused in Orange County?

Although the ongoing and worsening opioid epidemic dominates the headlines, there are several different classes of prescription medications that have the potential to be dangerous or even deadly.  The Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Division breaks down drug deaths by substance. Here is a three-year average:

• Opioid Painkillers (Oxycontin, Vicodin, fentanyl, etc.): 187 deaths per year. This represents 83% of ALL opioid-related deaths in Orange County.
• Benzodiazepine Tranquilizers (Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, etc.): 121
• Antidepressants: 92
• Amphetamines (Adderall, Ritalin, etc.): 81
• Antihistamines: 54
• Barbiturates: 7

What Does All of This Mean to Orange County Residents?

54 million Americans over the age of 12 have used a medication for non-medical reasons. Prescription drug abuse does not respect boundaries of gender, age, income, or education.  This means that it is extremely possible that you know someone who abuses or is addicted to a prescription drug – your spouse or partner, your child, a parent, or a friend.

It may even be YOU.

If prescription drug abuse has just your life.  Chapman House – the top drug treatment program in Orange County – is your most-trusted local resource.  Since 1978, to the professionals at Chapman House have helped families and individuals in crisis because of addictive and mental health disorders.

Using a unique evidence-based approach that focuses on your total wellness as an individual, Chapman House can help you safely and successfully regain your sobriety and the rest of your life.

To get the immediate help you need, contact Chapman House TODAY.

April 2019 Drug Take-Back Sites in Orange County

New locations are added every day.  To search for more authorized sites, click here to go to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s official national Drug Take-Back day website.

Anaheim

Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center

Kraemer Medical Office Building 1

3460 East La Palma Avenue

***

Anaheim Indepencia Community Center

10841 Garza Avenue

562-533-0473

Deputy Pete Chavez

Brea

Brea Police Department

1 Civic Center Circle

Front Driveway

Buena Park

Buena Park Police Department

6640 Beach Boulevard

Lobby

***

Buena Park Senior Center

8150 Knott Avenue

714-236-3872

Mark Sauceda

Corona Del Mar

Oasis Senior Center

801 Narcissus Avenue

Overflow Lot at 5th Avenue and Marguerite Avenue

Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa Police Department

99 Fair Drive

Front Parking Lot

Cypress

Cypress Police Department

5275 Orange Avenue

Front Parking Lot

Fullerton

Fullerton Police Department

237 West Commonwealth Avenue

Drive-Through on Highland Avenue

Garden Grove

Garden Grove Police Department

11301 Acacia Parkway

Lobby

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach Police Department

2000 Main Street

Front Lobby

Irvine

Irvine Valley College Police

5500 Irvine Center Drive

Parking Lot 5

***

Kaiser Permanente

6650 Alton Parkway

Front Parking Lot

***

Hoag Health Center

16405 Sand Canyon

Parking Lot

***

Irvine Police Department

1 Civic Center Plaza

Front Parking Lot

***

U.C. Irvine Police Department

410 East Peltason

Parking Lot

La Habra

La Habra Police Department

150 North Euclid Street

Front Lobby

Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach Police Department

505 Forest Avenue

949-497-0701

Natasha Hernandez

Laguna Hills

Laguna Hills City Hall

24035 El Toro Road

949-283-0271

Deputy Cole Walsh

Laguna Niguel

Laguna Niguel City Hall

30111 Crown Valley Parkway

949-362-4308

Sergeant Jack Songer

Laguna Woods

Laguna Woods City Hall

24264 El Toro Road

949-289-0479

Investigator Rick Olszynski

Lake Forest

Lake Forest City Hall

25550 Commerce Centre Drive

949-350-6927

Deputy Mark Froome

Los Alamitos

Mcauliffe Middle School

4112 Cerritos Avenue

562-431-2255, extension 405

Maria O’Connell

Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo City Hall

200 Civic Center

949-470-8433

Police Services Desk

Newport Beach

Hoag Hospital Lower Campus

1 Hoag Road

Parking Lot

949-644-3638

Erica Bloom

Orange

Orange Police Department

1107 North Batavia Street

Parking Lot

Rancho Santa Margarita

Rancho Santa Margarita City Hall

22112 El Paseo

949-680-8270

Deputy Paul Chiron

Rossmoor

Rossmoor Rush Park

3021 Blume Drive

562-673-1016

Casey Briggs

San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano City Hall

32400 Paseo Adelanto

949-443-6370

CPS Celina Corley

Santa Ana

Santa Ana Police Department

3750 West McFadden Avenue, Unit 1

Westend Office Lobby

Seal Beach

Leisure World

13533 Seal Beach Boulevard

Main Gate

Tustin

Tustin Police Department Community Center

300 Centennial Way

Villa Park

Villa Park City Hall

17855 Santiago Boulevard

562-355-5456

Deputy Chris Yuriar

Yorba Linda

Yorba Linda Police Services

20994 Yorba Linda Boulevard

949-697-5233

Deputy Apryl Soapes

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