United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA) Charlotte District Office is partnering with national, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials, as well as community coalition groups, to its 11th state-wide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.  This one-day event will make it convenient for the public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. At the event, North Carolinians will be able to drop off their expired, unused, and unwanted pills at sites across the state free of charge, no questions asked.  By doing so, they will help prevent prescription drug abuse and theft. North Carolinians participating in DEA’s last take-back, held on September 26, 2015, yielded 9,230 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses vital public safety and health issues. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Surveys of opioid drug users show that the majority of them get their drugs free from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet.  This is a unique opportunity for Americans to make their homes and medicine cabinets safe from theft and abuse.

Daniel R. Salter, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division said, “Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. The Prescription Drug Take-Back program will allow Americans to properly and safely dispose of their prescription medication which could otherwise be abused for non-medical purposes. This event is free and anonymous. Simply turn in your unused, unwanted, unneeded medication, no questions asked. This is just one example of how DEA is working hand-in-hand with its law enforcement and community partners in an effort to stem the tide of prescription drug abuse.”  

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.