United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAN DIEGO – On April 30, 2022, communities across the country demonstrated their support for DEA’s annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by dropping off more than 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications at 5,144 collection sites. Since 2010, DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has collected nearly 16 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications.

Over the course of four hours, San Diego County residents turned in 4,546 pounds of prescription drugs at 22 collection sites throughout the county.  Imperial County residents turned in 205 pounds of prescription drugs at one collection site.

“National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an important part of DEA’s efforts to fight the overdose epidemic and save lives,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “I encourage everyone across the country to dispose of unneeded medications throughout the year to help keep our communities safe and healthy.”

“Thank you for doing your part on April 30th to help prevent addiction and reduce overdose deaths,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly S. Howe. “If you were unable to participate, we encourage you to dispose of your unneeded medications throughout the year at a free drop-off site in your community.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, over 107,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose last year. This figure means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug overdose every 5 minutes.

Take Back Day events provide easy, no-cost opportunities to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to abuse and theft. There are many permanent drug-drop boxes located in communities across the country. A list of permanent locations can be found here.

Complete results for DEA’s spring National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at www.DEATakeBack.com. DEA’s next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for October 29, 2022.

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