DEA and United States Attorneys Office Prepare for Prescription Drug Takeback Day

U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores announced the DEA will hold the 14th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, October 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at ten collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

“I encourage Oklahomans to take advantage of this opportunity to safely dispose of outdated and unused prescription drugs collecting at their homes.” USA Shores said. “Unused prescription drugs just laying around the house may unintentionally create the opportunity for their improper use or fuel an addiction problem.”

Last April Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept needles or sharps.  The DEA can accept pills, patches, and tightly sealed liquids.)

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.

The collection sites in the Northern District of Oklahoma are:

• Bartlesville Police Department - 615 S. Johnstone Avenue, Bartlesville, OK  74003         
• BIA-OJS Miami Agency - 34 A Street, Miami, OK 74355  
• Miami Nation Tribal Police - 3401 P. Street,  Miami, OK  74335   
• Osage Nation Police Department - 627 Grandview Ave, Pawhuska, OK 74056     
• Tulsa Police Department - 12466 E 21st St, Tulsa, OK 74129         
• Tulsa Police Department - Patrick Henry Elementary School, 3820 E. 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135 
• Craig County Sheriff's Office - 210 W. Delaware Ave. #101, Vinita, OK 74301    
• Vinita Police Department - 104 E. Illinois Avenue, Vinita, OK 74301        
• Wyandotte Tribal Police Department - 64700 E. Hwy 60, Wyandotte, OK 74370  
• Eastern Shawnee Tribal Police Department - 10250 South 695 Rd, Wyandotte, OK 74370

For more information or to locate a collection site nearest 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.