CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Saturday, October 29, 2022, offers another opportunity to safely, conveniently, and anonymously dispose of unneeded medications as the latest DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2022, sites throughout the Southern District of West Virginia will accept 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 collection site finder and partner toolbox are available at http://www.DEATakeBack.com.
“Removing old and unwanted medications from the home means they can’t be misused or contribute to our addiction and overdose crisis,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This simple step can absolutely save lives and reduce harm.”
Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold, while unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. A majority of people who abuse prescription drugs obtained them from family and friends – and the home medicine cabinet.
“This is a great time for all of us to clean out our medicine cabinets and help keep prescription drugs out of the wrong hands,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division. “This one small act can have a big impact on the safety of our communities.”
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 7,995 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. During the previous Take Back Day in April 2022, more than 5,140 sites nationwide collected 360 tons of unneeded medications.
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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