DEA Safely Disposes 620,000 Pounds of Unused Medication on 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Take Back Day, DEA and the Seattle Police Department
SEATTLE– DEA and nearly 4,500 law enforcement agencies joined forces last month to dispose of more than 620,000 pounds of unneeded and expired medications in an effort to prevent drug misuse and abuse. The spring collection event marked DEA’s 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Since its inception 16 years ago, DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans safely remove nearly 19.8 million pounds of expired, unwanted, or unused medications from their homes.
The DEA Seattle Field Division collected more than 12,500 pounds of unneeded prescription medication on Take Back Day, April 26, 2025.
Washington: 5,181 pounds
Oregon: 2,727 pounds
Alaska: 990 pounds
Idaho: 3,811 pounds
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Total: 12,710 pounds
If you missed National Prescription Drug Take Back Day or want to clean your medicine cabinet out on a semi-regular basis, safe disposal options are available year-round. Nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and other authorized collectors nationwide continue to provide secure medication drop boxes, and many police departments offer permanent collection locations. To find a year-round drop off location, visit Every Day is Take Back Day.
Complete results for DEA’s spring National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at Take Back Day.
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