San Diego Field Division contributes 7,850 pounds to the collection tally

San Diego CA— DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day collected 829,543 pounds (419.7 tons) of unused, expired, and unwanted medications across the country. The San Diego Field Division collected 7,850 pounds of that grand total. Americans once again showed their dedication toward helping prevent addiction and potential overdose by removing prescription pills from their homes. Our April event included 4,425 community partners at 5,060 collection sites throughout the country.
“DEA’s biannual Take Back Day events are critical to helping reduce overdose deaths and alleviate addiction by safely disposing of prescription medications that sit idle in the home,” said DEA Acting Administrator D. Christopher Evans. “DEA is committed to providing a safe and secure method for the public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous drugs.”
“We asked you to do your part to get unused and unwanted medications out of your homes, and you did,” said Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. “Through your efforts, we collected almost 8,000 pounds of medications that can no longer be misused, abused, or stolen. There are also free drop-off sites open year-round throughout San Diego and Imperial counties, so you don’t have to wait for the next Take Back Day to continue safeguarding your loved ones.”
DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected 14,670,240 million pounds of medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010. On Oct. 24, 2020, the public turned in a record 985,392 pounds – almost 493 tons – of medication to DEA and 4,153 of its community partners at 4,587 collection sites nationwide, including 33 Bureau of Indian Affairs sites.
For those who could not make it to a Take Back location, DEA reminds the community that every day is Take Back Day with more than 11,000 year-round authorized collection sites across the country. For more information, visit: www.deatakeback.com.