The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event provides the public with an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by disposing of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.
This October marks the DEA’s 27th nationwide event since its inception 14 years ago. In the previous event last spring, nearly 670,136 pounds of prescription drugs were collected at approximately 4,869 sites operated by the DEA and 4,607 by state and local law enforcement partners.
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In addition to prescription drugs, the DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations. However, devices containing lithium-ion batteries cannot be accepted unless the batteries are removed. Individuals are encouraged to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries. This initiative comes in response to concerns over vaping-related illnesses and deaths and the high rates of youth vaping.
The DEA’s Take Back Day, along with its “Get Smart About Drugs” initiative, aims to address significant public safety and health concerns. Medicines left in home cabinets pose risks of diversion, misuse, and abuse. The U.S. faces high rates of prescription drug abuse, accidental poisonings, and overdoses, primarily driven by synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl.
Information on DEA’s “Take Back” program is available in Spanish [here](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/articulos-en-espanol/como-y-donde-deshacerse-de-los-medicamentos-sin-utilizar) and in English [here](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines). In addition to the event, there are 11,000 authorized collectors available year-round for drug disposal. For more information, visit the [DEA’s year-round collection site locator](https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1).
For details on the October 26th Take Back Day, visit the [DEA Drug Take Back event](https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/) or call 800-882-9539. The FDA also offers guidance on the proper disposal of prescription drugs, available in [English](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines) and [Spanish](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/articulos-en-espanol/como-y-donde-deshacerse-de-los-medicamentos-sin-utilizar).
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TDEC Hosts Hazardous Waste Collection Event
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) will conduct a mobile household hazardous waste collection event in Cheatham and Madison counties on October 26, allowing residents to dispose of hazardous items like cleaning fluids and pesticides safely. The initiative, which has been operational since 1993, is free for household waste and aims to facilitate proper disposal and recycling of hazardous materials, having already collected over 24 million pounds of waste from Tennessee households.