National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 2023: Northbrook

NORTHBROOK, IL — If you're looking to get rid of those half-empty bottles of unused prescriptions drugs cluttering your medicine cabinet, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Saturday. Northbrook residents can participate in the nationwide effort spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local police departments.

The annual event is a perfect opportunity to dispose of the medications safely before they end up in the wrong hands.

Northbrook is among more than 4,000 participating agencies across the United States. Police will collect unused prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Northbrook Police Department, 1401 Landwehr Road, Northbrook.

The drug take back event is held twice every year. At the October 2022 drug take back day, Americans turned in 647,163 pounds, or 324 tons, of potentially dangerous drugs. Included in the haul are ever-higher amounts of opioids, the DEA said. Though prescribed for pain management, these highly addictive drugs can be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.

DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain tightly sealed in their original container. The event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges, provided lithium batteries are removed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, 107,735 American lives were lost to drug poisoning between August 2021 and August 2022.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who use a prescription medication for a nonmedical purpose obtained that medication from a family member or friend.

“Every day, the men and women of the DEA work to protect Americans from deadly drugs and drug poisonings,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a news release. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is one of the ways we can help prevent addiction and deaths from opioids.”

A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites.