DEA to Host 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 24 at More Than 4,400 Sites Nationwide
Washington: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced it will host the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in collaboration with more than 4,300 law enforcement partners. More than 4,400 collection sites will be set up across the country, where residents can anonymously dispose of unneeded, expired and unused prescription medications free of charge.
DEA Administrator Terry Cole said that since the program began in 2010, Take Back Day has helped Americans remove more than twenty million pounds of unneeded medications from their homes. Participating prevents potentially addictive medications from falling into the wrong hands, he said, calling it a small step that can save lives, and he urged everyone to take a few minutes on October 24 to clean out their medicine cabinets. Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA San Francisco Field Division, said unused or expired prescription drugs in home medicine cabinets present a real threat to families and communities, and that Take Back Day offers a free, safe and convenient way to dispose of them properly.
According to the DEA, collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches and other forms of prescription medications, as well as liquid medications securely sealed in their original containers. Syringes, sharps and illicit drugs will not be collected. Citing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the DEA noted that prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications, and that removing unneeded medications from the home reduces the risk of misuse or accidental ingestion.
The DEA said residents can find a registered collection site near them through its Take Back Day website. For those unable to take part on October 24, more than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals and businesses nationwide offer safe medication disposal year-round, and many police departments provide permanent drop boxes. Law enforcement agencies across Southern California have announced local collection arrangements, with sites including Santa Clarita operating on the same day.
The spring Take Back Day held in April collected 642,410 pounds of prescription drugs in a single day. People who cannot visit a site on Saturday can use more than 15,300 permanent collection receptacles located at pharmacies, hospitals and law enforcement agencies nationwide, which are available year-round.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：居民在处方药回收活动现场将家中不再需要的药品交入回收箱（资料图）。Cpl. Thomas Mudd 摄，美国海军陆战队发布，公共领域，经维基共享资源。Photo: A resident turns in unneeded medication at a prescription drug take-back event (file photo). Photo by Cpl. Thomas Mudd, U.S. Marine Corps, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
