DEA Seattle Field Division and Partners Remove 22,000 Pounds of Unneeded Prescription Medications from the Northwest
DEA Take Back Site in Spokane (U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref, Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl, DEA Diversion G.S. Craig Tom
SEATTLE – On Oct. 29, 2022, communities across the country demonstrated their continued support for DEA’s bi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by safely disposing of more than 647,000 pounds of unneeded medications at nearly 5,000 collection sites across the country.
Since its inception in 2010, DEA’s National Prescription Take Back Day has removed almost 17 million pounds of unneeded medications from communities across the country.
The Seattle Field Division covers Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. With the help of our partners at 155 sites, DEA collected more than 22,000 pounds of unneeded prescription medications.
Washington: 7,490 pounds
Oregon: 4,200 pounds
Idaho: 6,490 pounds
Alaska: 3,840 pounds
“The Take Back campaign is part of DEA’s continued efforts to protect our communities and create healthier environments by offering the safe disposal of medications,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We appreciate the community support we see during these events and encourage everyone to remove unneeded medications from their home.”
“The DEA Drug Take Back is another important way in which we are working to keep our communities in the Pacific Northwest safe and healthy,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jacob D. Galvan, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By collecting more than 22.000 pounds of unused medications, we prevented medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.”
DEA continues to expand opportunities to make safe disposal of medications more accessible nationwide. DEA is pleased to announce it has registered a record number of authorized collectors – pharmacies and medical facilities – to collect unused and unwanted prescription drugs year-round. Since April 2017, DEA increased the number of authorized collectors from more than 2,200 to 15,000. A list of permanent drug-drop boxes located in communities across the country can be found here.
Safe medication disposal receptacles along with DEA Take Back events provide families easy, no-cost opportunities to get rid of unnecessary medicines stored in the home that can be susceptible to abuse and theft.
Complete results for DEA’s fall National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at www.DEATakeBack.com.
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