DEA New England Collects Nearly 30 Tons Of Unwanted Prescription Drugs
NEW ENGLAND - John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, as well as our community, public health and law enforcement partners, announced today the following prescription Take- Back Day results.
“This weekend in New England, as a result of the DEA take back program, nearly 30 tons of unwanted medications have been removed from our homes and disposed of properly,” said Special Agent in Charge Arvanitis. “DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to combatting prescription drug abuse in our communities. We exceeded last September’s Take- Back total by 20,000 pounds.” -
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) Sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this past Saturday collected 50 percent more pills than the previous one, demonstrating the American public’s continued appreciation and need for the opportunity to discard unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, bedside tables, and kitchen drawers.
On April 27, 742,497 (371 tons) of prescription medications were collected from members of the public at more than 5,829 locations manned by 4,312 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that partnered with DEA on the event. When added to the collections from DEA’s previous five Take-Back events, more than 2.8 million (1,409 tons) of prescription medications have been removed from circulation.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
