United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and its partners will host the 25th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers an easy, no-cost opportunity for the community to anonymously dispose of unneeded medications at nearly 5,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans remove unnecessary medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—from their homes.  These medications can be a gateway to addiction, and have helped fuel the opioid epidemic.  According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who use a prescription medication for a nonmedical purpose obtained that medication from a family member or friend.  Removing unnecessary medications from the home can help prevent situations involving: not taking medication as intended or dosed; taking someone else’s prescription; and taking the medicine for euphoric effects rather than medicinal purposes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts 110,757 people in the United States died last year of drug poisoning or overdose.

“DEA is committed to protecting the communities we serve and one way we do this is by collecting unused and unneeded prescription medications,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Too often, substance misuse starts when young people take drugs they do not need from their parent’s or grandparent’s medicine cabinet.  National Prescription Take Back Day is an easy way that you can help protect our communities and our families from substance misuse.”

 “I encourage everyone to take advantage of Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  It is just one of the ways we can work together to protect the people we love,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA is proud to work with so many dedicated state and local partners to establish safer and healthier communities.”

DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain tightly sealed in their original container. This fall’s event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.

A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to 16,500 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses collect medications year-round. In addition, many police departments also have year-round drop boxes.

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