The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to host a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health located at 2833 South Grand Ave East in Springfield.
The purpose of the event is to encourage the public to safely dispose of unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting. According to the DEA, the drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a national effort to reduce prescription drug abuse and accidental poisonings, and has been held annually since 2010. During the last event held in October 2022, over 900,000 pounds of unused or expired medication were collected across the country.
Sheriff Jack Campbell of Sangamon County is urging residents to participate in the event and take advantage of the opportunity to safely dispose of unneeded medications.
“We know that prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in our community, and we want to do everything we can to help prevent it,” said Sheriff Campbell. “By safely disposing of unused medications, we can prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and potentially causing harm.”
For more information about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day or to find a collection site near you, visit www.dea.gov/takebackday.