10th Annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday, September 26, 2015

Oklahoma City – U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats wants to encourage the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 10^th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day set for Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

"Prescription drug abuse constitutes one of the greatest public safety and public health epidemics of our time, inflicting devastating, long-term, harm to individuals as well as destroying families and communities throughout the country," said U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats. "We can all do our part to fight this epidemic by cleaning out our medicine cabinets of unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal at one of the many collection sites."

Last September, Americans turned in 309 tons (over 617,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners.  When those results are combined with what was collected in its previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 4.8 million pounds—more than 2,400 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. 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. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide.