DEA to hold prescription drug disposal event

The American Association of Poison Control Centers recently commended the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for reviving the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 26.

During the 10th event of its kind, the DEA, with the assistance of almost 4,000 law enforcement partners, will host more than 5,000 collection sites in communities nationwide so local residents can return their unused, unwanted, unneeded or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.

"There is absolutely no doubt that proper prescription drug disposal programs prevent unnecessary tragedies,” AAPCC Executive Director and CEO Stephen T. Kaminski said. “AAPCC has, and will continue to support poison exposure prevention events, such as the 2015 National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day because as the experts at poison centers know all too well, it’s just too easy for unused medications to get the hands of children, addicts, and others for whom they can be dangerous.”

Americans in all 50 states have turned-in more than 4.8 million pounds of prescription medications during previous drug take-back days. 

Collection sites in every local community can be found by going to www.dea.gov.