DEA To Hold 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day This Saturday
Event will take place from 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, September 26th
LOS ANGELES - This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, come to one of the almost 5,000 collection sites around the nation to return all unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs for safe and anonymous disposal. This is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in the past five years. All states and some territories will be participating (with the exception of Pennsylvania and Delaware, which held their events earlier in the month).
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses vital public safety and health issues. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medications, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away - posing safety and environmental hazards.
“Our goal is to reduce the risk of addiction and the 46,000 overdose deaths a year that come with prescription drug abuse. Take Back Day is a great opportunity for folks to help reduce the threat,” acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said. "Please clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse.”
Approximately 100 collection sites will be established in local communities throughout the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, which encompasses seven counties in the greater Los Angeles area, the States of Nevada and Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana (CNMI). Find a collection site near you for this Saturday’s event by visiting www.dea.gov or call 800-882-9539.
DEA’s previous nine nationwide Take-Back events collected 4,823,251 pounds-more than 2,411 tons-of drugs.
