CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginians can rid their homes of unneeded medications, a simple yet effective step in the fight against substance use disorders, during the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) organizes this national event, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is a ready partner. More than 70 sites across the Mountain State will offer a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of old, unwanted and unneeded medications that are susceptible to misuse.
“This is an easy measure to prevent the abuse of medication and cut off a potential gateway to addiction, “ said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “We know that a majority of opioid use disorders in West Virginia and nationwide start with prescription pills found at home.”
U.S. drug overdose deaths are up 16 percent in the last year, claiming more than 290 lives every day. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 106,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending November 2021, marking the most drug-related deaths ever recorded, with opioid-related deaths accounting for 75 percent of all overdose deaths.
A nationwide surge in fake prescription pills, made and marketed by criminal drug networks, is driving harm, violence, and overdoses. Fake pills, marketed as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public, are easy to purchase and widely available. Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids. Fentanyl is commonly found in counterfeit pills, and is the primary driver in the alarming increase in overdose deaths.
On Saturday, April 30, 2022, DEA and its law enforcement partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. DEA will accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
A location finder and partner toolbox are available at http://www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and businesses working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year.
DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 7,600 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. These efforts are directly in line with DEA’s priority to combat the rise of overdoses plaguing the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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