Over 5 tons of prescription drugs collected in Colorado in take-back day events
DENVER (KDVR) — Several agencies across Colorado participated in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day last weekend, and over five tons of unwanted prescription drugs were collected.
Each year on the last Saturday of April and October, many agencies across the country participate in the event led by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It’s an opportunity for people to safely get rid of their unneeded, unwanted or expired prescription medications.
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The goal is to encourage the public to “remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting,” according to the DEA.
The DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division said nearly 13 tons of unwanted prescription drugs were collected Saturday within its division, which includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana.
According to the DEA, 10,017 pounds of prescription drugs were collected in Colorado on Saturday, despite the soggy weather conditions. Another 12,530 pounds were collected in Utah, 935 pounds in Wyoming, and 2,270 pounds in Montana.
The Lakewood Police Department said it collected 111 pounds, and the Wheat Ridge Police Department said it collected 126 pounds.
Last October, 4,383 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. participated in the take-back event collecting about 300 tons total. The DEA reported that 7,988 pounds of unwanted prescription medications were collected in Colorado for that event.
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Where do unwanted prescription drugs go after collections?
According to the local division of the DEA, the unwanted drugs are bagged and placed in boxes before being shipped in contractor-driven semi-trucks to local DEA divisions.
Once the unwanted prescription drugs arrive at their designated destruction designation, they are “incinerated in a safe and effective manner.”
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The DEA says “every day is take back day,” with some 17,000 participating pharmacies, hospitals and businesses across the U.S.
Year-round drop-off locations can be found through the DEA Diversion Control Division’s online tool: input a zip code or city and choose a search radius and a list of nearby collection sites will be generated.
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Here is a list of drop-off locations in Colorado.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted 14,675 people died of prescription opioid poisoning or overdose last year, which is why the DEA says it’s important to clean out medicine cabinets and help prevent drug misuse before it starts.
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