Westport Police To Host Drug Take Back Day Event

WESTPORT, CT — Westport police will again partner with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for the 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event Saturday.

According to a news release provided by police, the event is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Westport Center for Senior Activities, located at 21 Imperial Avenue.

Please note that collection sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches, police said. Vape pens where the batteries can be removed can be disposed of at the drug take back event.

Vape pens where batteries cannot be removed will not be accepted at the drug take back. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked, police said.

Residents are also reminded that a year-round collection bin is located in the lobby of Westport police headquarters, where prescription drugs can be properly disposed of at any time rather than waiting for designated collection dates.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that last year, more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, marking the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year, according to police. Opioid-related deaths accounted for 75 percent of all overdose deaths in the year 2020.

Since its inception, the program has removed more than 15.2 million pounds of medication from circulation, police said.

More information about the event and the disposal of prescription drugs can be found at takebackday.dea.gov.