Northern California Residents Turn In 16 Tons Of Rx Drugs On Take Back Day
SAN FRANCISCO - The Drug Enforcement (DEA) and 110 of its law enforcement and community partners collected 32,965 pounds from 176 Northern California sites on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
Across the nation 900,386 (450 tons) was collected from nearly 5,500 sites. Marking the 13th National Prescription Take Back Day since September 2010, these events have altogether collected 8,103,363 (4,052 tons) of prescription drugs.
“Removing unwanted medication from the home will undoubtedly save lives. It is fantastic to see such a remarkable turnout from Northern California Residents,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge John J. Martin.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
DEA’s next National Prescription Take Back Day is Saturday, October 28, 2017.
In the more two years since new regulations made the disposal of controlled prescription drugs easier for patients and their caregivers, law enforcement agencies, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics have begun continuous collection of these medications. To visit a collection site between Take Back Days, go here or to www.rxdrugdropbox.org.
