SPOKANE, Wash. — The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place in Idaho and Washington on Saturday, April 30, for the 22nd time.
During the event, the community can drop off their unused or expired medication at collection site locations in their area on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) started the initiative in 2010 to provide easy, and anonymous opportunities to properly dispose of medications highly susceptible to misuse, abuse, and theft.
This year, the day is a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Spokane Police Department, and is a part of the 22nd bi-annual Drug Take Back initiative.
“My office is committed to reducing tragic drug overdose deaths. By participating in events like Prescription Drug Take Back Day, we can remove expired narcotics from our communities, prevent medication misuse, and make Eastern Washington safer and stronger,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more than 16 million Americans misused prescription medication in 2020. Most of them got the medication from family, friends, and from their home medicine cabinet.
Those who tended to misuse the medications were young adults ages 18-25 years old. The NSDUH estimates that more than 55,000 Idahoans aged 12 and older misused prescription pain relievers between 2019 and 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of substance misuse and drug overdose deaths increased. The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare’s Idaho Drug Overdose Data Dashboard reported 287 people died from a drug overdose, while more than 4,000 visited the emergency department.
People must remove unneeded medications from homes to avoid their misuse and harm.
To find a Take Back Day event near you, visit the DEA National Take Back Day webpage and enter your zip code into the collection site locator searching tool.
Some of the medication collection site locations include the Spokane Police Department C.O.P.S. Northwest, Spokane Police Department Northeast Community Center, Spokane County Sheriff Trent Elementary, Eastern Washinton University Police Department Red Barn EWU parking lot 18, and in Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Panhandle Health District.
"Drug take back events are one way members of our community can positively impact the opioid crisis and protect their loved ones,” Waldref said. “Prescription drug misuse and overdose deaths do not discriminate – they can impact individuals of any age, race, gender or demographic.”
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, according to the press release.
The FDA provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. To find out where year-round disposal sites are located, click here.
For more information about Annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day, go to www.DEATakeBack.com