17th Annual Drug Take Back Day Sets New Records

On April 27^th, the DEA collected and destroyed more than 469 tons of unused or expired prescription medications at local, state, tribal, and federal partnership sites. 

More than 6,400 collection sites participated in the 17^th annual event, bringing the DEA’s total collection since the fall of 2010 to 11,816,393 pounds, or 5,908 tons. 

“The ever-increasing public support and continuously growing numbers of partners and collection sites are a true testament to the value of DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back program,” said Uttam Dhillon, the DEA’s acting administrator. “Just as DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to ending the opioid epidemic, our communities recognize that this is a pervasive and heartbreaking crisis. DEA Take Back Day gives every American a way to help by simply cleaning out their medicine cabinets.”

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The DEA says that since the National Drug Take Back Day’s inception, the events have been extremely successful at removing unused drugs from homes and at raising awareness of their link to addiction and overdose deaths. 

Public demand for safe and secure drug disposal has also resulted in an increase in the number of drop boxes for unused prescription drugs at law enforcement facilities, pharmacies, and elsewhere, the DEA says.