14th Annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

On Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local law enforcement agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The 14th Annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day encourages the everyone to bring pills for disposal to one of the many collection sites throughout Pierce. Please note, the DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Since 2010, the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day has addressed a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Across the U.S., the rates of prescription drug abuse, accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs are staggeringly high. Frequently, abused prescription drugs are obtained from the home medicine cabinet of parents, grandparents and friends.

In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

Last year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and more than 4,200 of its law enforcement and community partners collected 900,386 pounds (450 tons) of unused prescription drugs from nearly 5,500 sites across the nation.