Acting United States Attorney Farley Encourages Participation In DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day On April 29, 2017

            CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley encourages the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017.

            “As our state continues to battle with an epidemic of opioid overdoses, we must acknowledge that many individuals start on the path toward addiction through the misuse of prescription drugs. Often, this can start when unneeded prescription drugs are used for recreational purposes. That initial experimentation sadly can lead to opioid addiction and, in far too many cases, untimely deaths. I encourage every citizen to take the time to dispose of unneeded medicine on Saturday. Your efforts will help improve the safety of both your household and your community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.

            "Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. "Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs. Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse."

            Prior Take-Back Days have been quite successful. On October 22, 2016, the public turned in 731,269 pounds—almost 366 tons—of medication to DEA and more than 4,000 of its community partners at almost 5,200 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs have been removed from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and nightstands by citizens around the country.

            Unused medicines in the home are a problem because millions who have abused prescription painkillers say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from home medicine cabinets, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers. Almost 30,000 people—78 a day—died from overdosing on these painkillers or heroin in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

            Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. To locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Office of Diversion Control web site at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback where you can search by zip code.

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