United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CAMDEN, N.J. -  This Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Drug Enforcement Administration and its local law enforcement partners will give the public its 15th opportunity in eight years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

This weekend more than 5,600 collection sites manned by almost 4,500 partner law enforcement agencies will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Currently, there are 184 New Jersey police departments participating at 200 locations.  The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539.  Liquids, needles or sharps cannot be accepted.

“DEA’s National Take Back initiative has been a great success over the years,” said Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division. “New Jersey residents have disposed of more than 200,000 pounds of medications since the program began in 2010.  This initiative allows everyone to help in combating the current prescription opioid epidemic by disposing of unused, unwanted, or expired medications from their homes.  This has the potential of preventing abuse, especially with our teenagers in the home.  We need the public’s help to help dispose of these unused and unwanted medications.”

In 2016, more than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses.  Of those, about 41,000 were directly related to either prescription opioids or heroin.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines-flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash-posed potential safety and health hazards.

Last October New Jersey residents turned in more than 14,000 pounds of prescription medications.