Record amount of drugs collected during DEA's Drug Take Back Day

Washington, D.C. - On October 24, 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its partners collected nearly a million pounds of unused, expired, and unwanted medications during its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. 985,392 pounds of medication were collected at 4,587 sites nationwide, which included 33 Bureau of Indian Affairs sites.

This is the largest amount ever collected in the program’s ten years, which has now collected nearly 13.7 million pounds of drugs since the initiative began in 2010.

“This year’s event, with a record-setting 493-ton collection, is a sure sign that DEA’s Take Back Day events continue to provide a vital public service that keeps loved ones safe - an opportunity to rid homes of potentially dangerous unused, expired, and unwanted medications,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Every day is Take Back Day, and we encourage the public to continue to address this urgent safety and public health issue by using the thousands of existing drop-off locations throughout the year.”

To find a safe and secure drug disposal location near you year-round, please click here:
apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1

Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the DEA wants people to be aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) both have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home (see links below).
FDA link: www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines
EPA link: www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/collecting-and-disposing-unwanted-medicines

The DEA encourages the public to reach out to local law enforcement agencies to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations within their local community.