San Diego County CA— Potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs will be collected for destruction at 44 drop-off sites throughout San Diego County on Saturday, April 27 from 10am to 2pm. The service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.
Now in its 10th year, Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from our nation’s homes, where they are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. The rate of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. continues to increase at an alarming rate, as does the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA and our partners are working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.
This weekend more than 5,600 collection sites manned by almost 4,500 partner law enforcement agencies will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps.)
- Oceanside – Tri-City Medical Center, 4002 Vista Way
- Carlsbad- 2176 Salk Avenue
- Encinitas- Scripps Hospital, 354 Santa Fe Dr
- Fallbrook-Sheriff’s Substation, 388 E Alvarado St
- San Marcos- Kaiser, 400 Craven Road
- Vista- Walgreens, 310 Sycamore Ave
- Escondido- PD, 1163 Centre City Parkway
“Take Back Day helps to keep drugs out of the hands of abusers and potentially save lives by removing unused painkillers and controlled drugs from homes,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson. “The more unused painkillers or controlled drugs we can help to remove from homes, the more potential lives will be saved. The home medicine cabinet is a frequent target of prescription drug abusers and often provides access to prescription medication. We need the help of the public to dispose of this unwanted source of abuse. Take Back Day is an effective tool for addressing the opioid crisis in America.”
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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. DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.
The public has embraced the opportunity these Take Back Day events provide to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. Last fall the public turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its local and tribal partners.