NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser joins the DEA in announcing its 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day scheduled for April 27th. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at thousands of collection sites around the country, including here in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
U.S. Attorney Strasser stated, “Unfortunately, the average medicine cabinet, overstocked with unused or expired medications, can unintentionally provide opportunities for abuse. DEA’s Take Back Day affords a unique opportunity to anonymously and safely remove these potential hazards and prevent them from affecting families and our communities."
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley said, “Prescription drug abuse has become the nation’s fastest growing drug epidemic. Last year, more Americans died from opioid overdoses than from all other drugs combined, including meth, cocaine and hallucinogens. Unfortunately, these prescription drugs are most often obtained from friends and family, who leave them in home medicine cabinets. DEA’s Take-Back initiative provides citizens an easy and safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. Please do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help spread awareness in your community."
Last October Americans turned in 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds-more than 5,400 tons-of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator or www.deatakeback.com where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
