MEDIA CONTACT: Stephany Dugan - ra-dapressoffice@pa.gov
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ (DMVA) are encouraging Pennsylvanians to take part in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day initiative this Saturday, April 22.
The DEA has offered National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day since 2010 with the goal of fighting prescription drug misuse by creating convenient ways to dispose of medication that would otherwise be at risk of misuse in home medicine cabinets.
“Prescription Drug Take-Back Day signals it is time to clean out our medicine cabinets and get rid of old, unused or unwanted prescription medication,” said DDAP Acting Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “This safe approach to medication disposal helps to keep our loved ones and communities safe.”
During the most recent National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in October 2022, the DEA collected more than 26,000 pounds of unused medication across more than 250 collection sites across Pennsylvania.
In addition to the DEA’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, the Shapiro Administration offers a year-round opportunity to dispose of medication through Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Program.
“If you are unable to participate on Saturday, there are hundreds of boxes throughout Pennsylvania to take advantage of year-round,” said Davis-Jones.
Since the inception of Pennsylvania’s drug take-back program in 2015, more than one million pounds of prescription medication have been destroyed across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
The DMVA’s Counterdrug Joint Task Force (CJTF) is operated by the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) and is responsible for, along with narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s office, collecting and weighing discarded prescription drugs through Pennsylvania’s drug take-back program. In addition, the CJTF provides counterdrug support and training to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, community-based organizations, and educational and government organizations that request assistance at no cost to the agency supported. The PNG is part of the DMVA’s dual mission, which also includes supporting Pennsylvania’s more than 700,000 veterans.
“We are pleased to once again partner with the DEA and DDAP to remove and safely transport for disposal un-needed prescription drugs which will keep them from getting into the wrong hands,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “The Drug Take-Back Program is a prime example of how the Pennsylvania National Guard serves together with its community partners, assuring the safety of all Pennsylvanians.”
The Pennsylvania State Police aim to provide a safe and convenient means of disposal year-round by collecting unwanted prescription medications at 65 stations across the commonwealth. No personal information is required, and drop-off boxes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than 1,300 pounds of medications have been collected at PSP stations so far this year.
You can find one of Pennsylvania’s year-round drug take-back locations at ddap.pa.gov/drugtakeback.
For more information on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, visit takebackday.dea.gov.
# # #