United States Drug Enforcement Administration

APR 21 - (SAN DIEGO) - The Drug Enforcement (DEA) would like to announce that the 8th National Prescription Take Back Day will be held on April 26, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

DEA and its law enforcement and community partners will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  On Saturday, April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DEA and its partners will hold their eighth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day with 40 sites in San Diego and three sites in Imperial Counties.  The Imperial County locations are as follows:  Food 4 Less, 109 W. Birch Street, Calexico, CA; Vons, 750 N. Imperial Avenue, El Centro, CA; and Vons, 475 W. Main Street, Brawley, CA.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, DEA San Diego and its partners collected 9,603 pounds of prescription drugs from San Diego and Imperial Counties combined.  Nationally, citizens turned in over 324 tons of prescription drugs at 4,100 locations.

"The reduction of the availability of prescription drugs continues to be a priority for the law enforcement in San Diego County", says Special Agent in Charge of DEA San Diego William R. Sherman.  "The success we have had in our prior Take Back events, demonstrates that keeping these potentially deadly drugs out of the hands of our youth is also a priority for the citizens of San Diego and Imperial Counties."

Partnering law enforcement agencies include San Diego Sheriff's Department, San Diego PD, Coronado Police Department, US Navy, US Marine Corps, San Diego State University PD, University of California San Diego PD, Escondido PD, La Mesa PD, National City PD, Carlsbad PD, Oceanside PD, El Cajon PD, Chula Vista PD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Veterans Administration Police, San Diego County Probation, US Probation, Sycuan Tribal Police, San Diego County District Attorney's Investigators, San Diego Community College District Police Department, California Department of Justice, and California Department of Health Care Services  along with several community partners.

For more information about National Prescription Take Back Day or to find a collection site near you, please visit www.dea.gov.