DEA’s 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has highest-ever partner participation

April’s Take Back Day sets all-time records for law enforcement partners and collection sites

The Drug Enforcement Administration says the 2019 National Drug Take Back Day was was a record-breaking event.

The semi-annual event, which took place on April 27th this year, partnered local, state, tribal and federal partners – more than 5,000 total – at nearly 6,400 collection sites, to  collect and destroy close to 469 tons of potentially dangerous unwanted drugs.

The 2019 numbers bring the 17-year program totals to 12 million pounds of unused or expired prescription medications.

 During the 17th semiannual event on April 27, the Take Back initiative saw new records for the numbers of law enforcement partners, collection sites. Together with these local, state, tribal and federal partners – more than 5,000 total – at nearly 6,400 collection sites, DEA collected and destroyed close to 469 tons of potentially dangerous unwanted drugs.

This brings the total amount of drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 11,816,393 pounds, or 5,908 tons.

“The ever-increasing public support and continuously growing numbers of partners and collection sites are a true testament to the value of DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back program,” said Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “Just as DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to ending the opioid epidemic, our communities recognize that this is a pervasive and heartbreaking crisis.  DEA Take Back Day gives every American a way to help by simply cleaning out their medicine cabinets.”

From a press release issued by the DEA:

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 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. The public has embraced the opportunity these events provide to remove medicines languishing in the home that are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse and theft. Public demand for safe and secure drug disposal has also resulted in a significant increase in year-round drug drop boxes at law enforcement facilities, pharmacies, and elsewhere, making drug disposal even more convenient.

Complete results for DEA’s spring Take Back Day are available at www.DEATakeBack.com