This Saturday will be an important day in the fight against the opioid epidemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration will be holding the 15^th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country to encourage Americans to properly dispose of unused and expired medications.

Millions of Americans misuse prescription drugs, which they often can access from a friend or family’s medicine cabinet. It’s crucial that families get rid of these medications so that they don’t fall into the wrong hands. In two Take Back events held during 2017, the DEA collected nearly 2 million pounds of unused medications.

New Jersey residents can find a take back location by visiting takebackday.dea.gov. If you miss your chance to dispose of medications on Saturday, you can still get rid of them at drop-off points near you through the American Medicine Chest Challenge.  

PDFNJ, along with the DEA – New Jersey Division, the Office of the Attorney General and several local law enforcement agencies, helped spearhead the first statewide day of disposal in the nation more than 10 years ago, when 25,000 New Jersey residents took advantage of the event to dispose of unused medicines. The DEA replicated the New Jersey initiative on a national level and created the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.