United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PHOENIX - The DEA’s Phoenix Field Division has finished calculating the amount of drugs collected from those agencies who participated in the April 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Arizonans turned out in massive numbers and disposed of 12,025.43 pounds, over six tons, of prescription drugs. The total for the event is an approximate 360 pound increase over the National Take Back event held in October 2017, and the third highest total collected in Arizona since the beginning of the DEA Take Back program.

“The citizens of Arizona continue to demonstrate their commitment to fighting the opioid epidemic by delivering drugs for disposal in huge quantities at DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Events,” said Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge for DEA in Arizona. “The DEA will continue to host these Take Backs opportunities with statewide law enforcement and community partners to provide everyone an opportunity to safely dispose of potentially addictive prescription drugs.”

This latest collection was the result of Arizona’s 56 participating agencies who hosted approximately 79 collection points across the state, also an increase from October’s event. Cumulatively in Arizona, over 144,885 pounds, or over 72 tons have been collected since the inception of the program. Across the country, the 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day received and destroyed close to one million pounds-nearly 475 tons, making it the most successful event in DEA history. The total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 rises to 9,964,714 pounds, or 4,982 tons.