by Lori Dunn | October 27, 2023 at 11:00 p.m. | Link to article
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Drug Take Back Day is one way the agency attempts to keep prescription drugs out of the wrong hands.
Twice a year, in April and October, the agency designates specific days for people to go through their medicine cabinets and turn in any unused or expired medications they may have.
Since its inception in 2010, the bi-annual event has removed more than 17 million pounds of unnecessary medications from communities across the country, according to a news release from DEA.
In April of this year, Arkansas collected 26,042 pounds of drugs from 122 collection sites. In October, Arkansas collected 26,935 pounds from 148 collection sites, according to the DEA.
Texas collected 47,695 pounds from 225 collection sites in April and 46,668 pounds in October, according to the DEA.
Nationwide, 663,725 pounds of unneeded medications were collected at nearly 5,000 collection sites, according to the DEA.
The agency is hopeful the drug take back days make it harder for people, especially teens and children, to access prescription drugs easily.
Most young adults who abuse prescription drugs get those substances from friends’ and families’ homes, according to the DEA. Recent data shows that overdose deaths in children under the age of 12 have been increasing along with the opioid crisis. When medications are left uncovered, children also risk accidentally ingesting opioids left around the house.
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership supports the DEA in its Drug Take Back Day.
“Since Drug Take Back’s start, Arkansas has safely collected and destroyed over 548 thousand pounds of unwanted, expired medications in an environmentally safe way, said Director Kirk Lane.
“Most importantly, the program has always been an educational program teaching citizens about the concept of monitor, secure and safely dispose,” he said.
There are also environmental impacts to improperly disposing of prescription drugs.
Old drugs that are flushed down the drain can end up in drinking water. Prescription drugs can’t be flushed or discarded into the trash. If thrown away whole, those drugs may be taken out of the garbage. Sometimes, people disguise drugs by mixing them into kitty litter or coffee grounds. However, those drugs seep into the earth, again finding their way into a water supply, according to the DEA.
Complete results for DEA’s spring National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at Take Back Day (dea.gov).
Print Headline: Drug Take Back Day keeps drugs out of young hands, DEA says