Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Do you have unused or expired prescription medications?

On Saturday, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and its state and local partners will hold the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The DEA began the initiative in 2010 to provide easy, anonymous opportunities to remove medicines in the home that are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse and theft.

This year, local law enforcement and prevention partners have organized Take Back Day collection site events across Idaho to provide their communities with accessible and convenient opportunities to drop off their unused or expired prescriptions.

To find a Take Back Day event in your area, visit the DEA National Take Back Day webpage here and enter your zip code into the Collection Site Locator search tool.

Some locations in the area are:

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more than 16 million Americans misused prescription medication in 2020 – many obtained from family and friends, often in the home medicine cabinet. The prevalence of misuse was highest among young adults aged 18-25 years old.

Idaho is not immune to the problem of prescription misuse. NSDUH state prevalence estimates approximate more than 55,000 Idahoans aged 12 and older misused prescription pain relievers between 2019-2020. Additionally, results from the 2021 Idaho Youth Risk Behavior and Idaho Healthy Youth Surveys found that nearly 14% of Idaho 9-12th graders reported that they had misused a prescription drug one or more times in their life. While a majority of youth did not report misusing prescription drugs, of those that did, over 40% took or received them from a family member or friend, and nearly 75% misused the medication in their own home.

Substance misuse and drug overdose deaths have continued to climb in Idaho, with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare’s Idaho Drug Overdose Data Dashboard reporting 353 drug overdose related deaths and 5,058 drug overdose-related emergency department visits in 2021. The detrimental impacts of prescription misuse make it even more vital for Idahoans to remove unused medications from our homes, where they can easily find their way into the wrong hands.

The Idaho Office of Drug Policy appreciates the efforts of Take Back Day event organizers across the state; and encourages Idahoans to take advantage of this opportunity to help prevent drug misuse and improve the health and safety of our communities. Help keep Idaho safe from the dangers of prescription misuse by dropping off your old medication on Saturday, October 29.

If you miss your local Take Back Day and need to dispose of prescription medications, find year round drop off locations online HERE.