The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and its partners brought in nearly 1 million pounds of unused, expired, and unwanted medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Oct. 24.
The agency, along with law enforcement partners, said it has now collected nearly 13.7 million pounds of prescription medication since the initiative started in 2010. This year, the American public turned in 985,392 pounds of medications, the agency said.
“This year’s event, with a record-setting 493-ton collection, is a sure sign that DEA’s Take Back Day events continue to provide a vital public service that keeps loved ones safe—an opportunity to rid homes of potentially dangerous unused, expired, and unwanted medications,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Every day is Take Back Day, and we encourage the public to continue to address this urgent safety and public health issue by using the thousands of existing drop-off locations throughout the year.”
In Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, over 17.5 tons of expired, unused, or unneeded medications were turned in at 192 collection sites. Kentucky took in the most with 14,930.85 pounds, followed by Tennessee at 14,768.42 pounds and West Virginia with 5,864.69 pounds.
“We’re very pleased with the amount of medications we collected this year, especially at time when we’re seeing an alarming rise in overdose deaths,” said J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Louisville Division. “It’s too easy for controlled substances to make their way from the home medicine cabinet to the street, and we appreciate all the help we can get to make our communities safer for everyone.”