Success and Participation of Past Drug Take Back Days Results in Fifth DEA Event in Two Years
On Sept. 29, thousands of sites nationwide will be open for the public to deposit expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will hold its fifth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day following the success of the four prior events over the past two years, DEA announced Tuesday in a release.
Past events have resulted in a collection of nearly 1.6 million pounds – or 774 tons – of prescription drugs, DEA said.
“The growing response to DEA’s national Take Back Day events demonstrates that the public understands, and wants to help combat, the epidemic of prescription drug abuse in America,” said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. “They recognize the need to rid their homes of dangerous controlled substance medications that teens and others steal, abuse and sell. DEA will continue holding these national Take Back Day events as long as they are needed to prevent diversion, addiction and overdose deaths.”
The most recent DEA Take Back event resulted in the collection of more than double the pills as the first event two years ago, DEA said, with an increase in participation from partnering agencies and sites by nearly 50 percent.
The Take Back sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
