Fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event Collects
Record 276 Tons
May 03 (Washington, D.C.) – The
American people have again
responded overwhelmingly to the
most recent DEA-led National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
On April 28th, citizens turned
in a record-breaking 552,161
pounds (276 tons) of unwanted or
expired medications for safe and
proper disposal at the 5,659
take-back sites that were available
in all 50 states and U.S.
territories. When the results of
the four Take Back Days to
date are combined, the DEA and
its state, local, and tribal
law-enforcement and community
partners have removed
over 1.5 million pounds (774 tons)
of medication from circulation.
"We are pleased at the response of
the American people once
again, and we thank them for
participating and contributing
to the battle against prescription
drug abuse,” said DEA
Administrator Michele M. Leonhart,
who added that 4,268
agencies participated with DEA
nationwide in Saturday’s event.
“While a uniform system for
prescription drug disposal is being
finalized, we will continue to
sponsor these important take-back
opportunities as a service to our
communities. Our take-back
events highlight the problems
related to prescription drug
abuse and give our citizens
an opportunity to contribute
to the solution. These
events are only made
possible through the
dedicated work and
commitment of our state,
federal, local, and tribal
partners and DEA thanks
each and every one of
them for their efforts on
behalf of the American
people.”
This initiative addresses a vital
public safety and public health
issue. Medicines that languish in
home cabinets are highly
susceptible to diversion, misuse,
and abuse. Rates of prescription
drug abuse in the U.S. are
alarmingly high--more
Americans currently
abuse prescription drugs than
the number of those using cocaine,
hallucinogens, and heroin combined,
according to the 2010 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Studies show that a majority of
abused prescription drugs are
obtained from family and friends,
including from the home medicine
cabinet.
Four days after the first Take-Back
event in September 2010,
Congress passed the Secure and
Responsible Drug Disposal Act
of 2010, which amends the
Controlled Substances Act to allow
an “ultimate user” of controlled
substance medications dispose
of them by delivering them to
entities authorized by the
Attorney General to
accept them. The Act
also allows the Attorney
General to authorize long
term care facilities to dispose of their
residents’ controlled substances
in certain instances. DEA is in
the process of drafting
regulations to implement the Act.
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Recovery Center, Village of
Monticello Police Dept., Fallsburg
Communities that Care and
Fallsburg Police Dept. provided
secure venues so persons could
dispose of unwanted and unused
prescription drugs with no
questions asked on April
28, 2012. The Take Back
locations were the
Fallsburg Courthouse and
the Ted Stroebele Recreation
Center in South Fallsburg and
the Village of Monticello
respectively. The success of this
program will help remove
prescription drugs from possibly
getting into the wrong hands.
More Prescription Take Back
Days are being planned.
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