BILLINGS -- U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme will join the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the 18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 26 collection sites across Montana. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
New for this campaign, the DEA will be accepting vaping devices and cartridges, in addition to tablets, capsules, patches and other medications in solid form.
“The primary way opioid abusers first get pills is from family, friends or the medicine cabinet. That’s why getting rid of unneeded and expired prescriptions is an important step Montanans can take to prevent opioid abuse and addiction," U. S. Attorney Alme said.
“The DEA, along with its community partners, will be collecting unused, unneeded and expired prescription medications. In addition, DEA will also accept vaping devices and cartridges with no questions asked. Just place your items in a bag or box and, in Billings, drop them off in the parking lot area of the Elks Lodge, located at 934 Lewis Ave., or the First Interstate Bank parking lot, located at 730 Main Street, in the Heights," said DEA Montana Resident Agent in Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain.
Last April, Americans turned in 468 tons (937,443 pounds) of prescription drugs at 6,258 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,969 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Montanans turned in 4,113 pounds of prescription drugs, including 78 pounds from Indian reservations, at the April event.
The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and 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 where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
