The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at more than 4,000 collection sites across the nation. This bi-annual event offers free, anonymous disposal of unneeded medications.
“By removing the threat of unused prescription medications from homes, we eliminate the chance of experimentation, misuse and potential overdose,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “We encourage families to take this day as an opportunity to dispose of unneeded medications, but also to start the conversation with children about the dangers of taking medications not prescribed to them.”
A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained it from a family member or friend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 106,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending November 2021, This marks the most drug-related deaths ever recorded, with opioid-related deaths accounting for 75 percent of all overdose deaths.
National Prescription Drug Take back Day helps Americans easily rid their homes of unwanted and unneeded medications. Those drugs often become a gateway to addiction. Take Back Day has removed more than 15 million pounds of medication from circulation since its inception.
There are two locations in Lincoln:
The DEA and the Attorney General’s Office is hosting a drop off from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Nebraska State Capitol at 14th and K Street.
The DEA and the Nebraska State Patrol is hosting a drop off at Hy-Vee at 5010 O Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted. Vaping devices and cartridges will be taken as long as lithium batteries are removed.