Federal, State, Local, and Tribal partners collect more than 864 pounds in the Northern District of Oklahoma
With the robust participation of Americans nationwide, the Drug Enforcement Administration and its law enforcement partners have now surpassed its 10 million pound goal and collected nearly 11 million pounds of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications over the course of 16 successful DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back events.
“The results of our most recent Take Back Day clearly demonstrate a need for this initiative as a tool in the fight against America’s opioid crisis," said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “The success of this event is a direct reflection of DEA’s commitment to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths in the U.S. Together, we are all helping to make a difference to keep our friends and families safe."
Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division, which overseas DEA operations in Oklahoma and Texas, announced that during the 16th semiannual event on Oct. 27, DEA and federal, state and local partners disposed of more than 900,000 pounds of prescription medications collected at nearly 6,000 sites across the country. Together with almost 5,000 local, state and federal partners, DEA collected and destroyed more than 457 tons of potentially dangerous leftover prescription drugs. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 10,878,950 pounds, or 5439.5 tons.
The Dallas Field Division experienced record participation and collected 32,941 pounds of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications across Texas and Oklahoma.
Oklahomans located in the 11 counties (Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties) which comprise the federal Northern District of Oklahoma did their part in meeting the milestone, turning over 864.492 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. United States Attorney Trent Shores and DEA Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., championed the efforts of federal, state, local, and tribal community partners who helped make the event a success.
United States Attorney Trent Shores of the Northern District of Oklahoma stated, “Hundreds of Oklahomans lose their lives every year due to prescription opioid overdoses. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Drug Take Back Day saves lives. Disposing of these prescription drugs keeps them out of the hands of our children and loved ones and helps stop the spread of addiction. I am thankful to the DEA for their hard work in setting up this event and every Oklahoman who turned in their outdated and unused prescriptions."
“The DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back program provides all citizens of Texas and Oklahoma the ability to properly and safely dispose of prescription medication that may otherwise be used for nefarious purposes. DEA Dallas is proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners and members of the community to stem the massive amount of prescription drugs that serve as a catalyst for the opioid epidemic," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.
DEA began putting on Take Back Day events when the public had no other way to appropriately dispose of their leftover painkillers and other potentially dangerous drugs. These events have been extremely successful not only in getting unused drugs out of the house, but also in raising awareness of their link to addiction and overdose deaths. Since DEA launched this program nine years ago, doctors are prescribing fewer painkillers, and law enforcement agencies, pharmacies and others have installed permanent prescription drug drop boxes on-site, making drug disposal even more convenient.
Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.
The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Dallas via Twitter at @DEADALLASDiv
Complete results for DEA’s fall Take Back Day are available at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#initiative-results. DEA’s next Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27, 2019.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
