Nearly 630,000 Pounds of Unneeded Medications Collected on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

MIAMI - Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and more than 4,400 law enforcement partners recently collected nearly 630,000 pounds of unused medications at 4,600 locations nationwide. This effort to empty medicine cabinets helps prevent drug misuse before it starts.

Since its inception, DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has removed nearly 19.2 million pounds of unneeded medications from communities across the country.

"Prescription medication misuse can lead to accidental drug poisonings and that's why we are passionate about hosting these events," said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. "We want to encourage Floridians to clean out their medicine cabinets and dispose the medications safely."

DEA Miami Field Division partnered with 161 law enforcement agencies with 204 medication collection sites throughout Florida. In total, more than 25,000 pounds of unneeded prescription medications were taken in.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the majority of people who misuse prescription medication for a non-medical purpose get that medication from a family member or friend.

DEA continues to expand opportunities to make safe disposal of medications more accessible nationwide. Nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses offer safe medication disposal throughout the year. In addition, many police departments provide permanent drop boxes. To find a year-round drop off location, visit Every Day is Take Back Day | DEA.gov.

Complete results for DEA's fall National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at Take Back Day.