DEA Drug Take back Day A Success

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) -The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collected 829,543 pounds (419.7 tons) of unused, expired and unwanted medications at the 20th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 24.  The five state Omaha Division combined for 37,878 pounds, including 16,987 pounds collected in Iowa. The goal of the take back day is to help prevent addiction and potential overdose by removing unwanted prescription pills from homes.

“Take Back Day is important as it allows us the opportunity to provide a safe and anonymous way for people to dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications,” Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “It also gives us the chance to educate people on the potential dangers of misuse and abuse of prescription medications. These are important messages that we want to make people aware of in our communities.”

The spring Take Back Day event included 4,425 community partners at 5,060 collection sites throughout the country. In Iowa, 71 law enforcement partners hosted 93 sites throughout the state.

DEA and its law enforcement partners have collected 14,524,391 pounds of medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.  On Oct. 24, 2020, the public turned in a record 985,392 pounds – almost 493 tons – of medication to DEA and 4,153 of its community partners at 4,587 collection sites nationwide, including 33 Bureau of Indian Affairs sites.

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