Drug Enforcement Administration Acting/Special Agent in Charge, John F. Kanig and U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event, scheduled for April 30 on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
According to the release, this initiative addresses a serious public safety and public health issue which impacts communities throughout the United States. Now in its twelfth year, the National Take Back Day events continue to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.
The DEA’s Take Back events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths while providing an effective way to dispose of prescription drugs without harm to the environment.
“Too often, unused prescription drugs end up in the wrong hands,” said Shappert. “We are facing a national epidemic of drug abuse, some of which is fueled by outdated and unused prescription medications located in medicine cabinets and cupboards of many Americans. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back is an excellent opportunity for members of our community to eliminate prescription drugs that have outlived their usefulness. Disposal of unused prescription drugs in a responsible fashion also protects our environment.”
According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health of people aged 12 or older, 9.3 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 5.1 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 6.2 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2020. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
“Keeping prescription drugs out of the reach of our children is everyone’s responsibility. Please join us during our National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and help us protect them and our community,” said Kanig.
Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications, according to the release.
For more information on National Take-Back Day, please contact 1-800-882-9539, 571-362- 4700 or visit https://takebackday.dea.gov/. You can also click on the Partnership Toolbox option where you can find and download materials to promote the event. In addition to DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day on April 30th, prescription drugs can be disposed of any day throughout the year at any of the 11,000 authorized collectors. For more information on collection sites, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1
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