D.C. Will Take Part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia announced it will participate in the 16th National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative happening this month.

The initiative is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and partners with public health advocates and law enforcement agencies in communities around the country to urge residents to dispose of unneeded prescription drugs. The goal is to collect unused, dangerous and easily accessible drugs that too often remain stored in home medicine cabinets until they are stolen or abused.

Not only does the free, nationwide campaign allow for local officials to collect and discard prescription drugs anonymously, it aims to “provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing prescription drugs.”

In D.C., the most recent sweep earlier this year collected a total weight of 1,559 pounds of prescription drug from seven collection sites dispersed throughout the city.

Around the country, nearly 6,000 collection sites were scattered across all 50 states, making it the most successful one since the initiative commenced in 2010. The nationwide haul collected and destroyed almost one million pounds, or nearly 475 tons of prescription drugs. Since the effort began, the DEA has collected a total amount of 9,964,714 pounds, or 4,982 tons of prescription drugs.

It’s safe to say National Drug Take Back Day has made an impact on the epidemic of drug abuse, but despite small gains, the problem has increasingly persisted in certain areas around the nation, and Washington D.C. is no exception.

The District has a rough history with battling drug abuse and addiction. To this day, it has one of the highest rates of opioid-related overdose deaths in the country. In 2016, there were 209 total deaths, a rate of 30 deaths per 100,000 persons compared to the national rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 persons. 66 of the 209 deaths were because of prescription opioid abuse.

Though the problem is compounded by an escalating heroine and fentanyl crisis, the District still faces ongoing concerns over abuse of prescription medications.

One way to prevent that is to ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

The October 2018 National Drug Take Back Day will occur on October 27, 2018 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. District collection sites are available on the Take Back Day website.