National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — If you have expired or unused prescription drugs taking up space in your medicine cabinet, Arlington County residents will have an opportunity to safely get rid of them this weekend.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday. The purpose of the twice-annual event is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs so they don't end up in the wrong hands.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 22nd event in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. During the April 2021 event, agencies collected nearly 840,000 pounds of unused prescription drugs.

The service is free and anonymous. All pills will be accepted, but liquids, needles, and sharps won't be accepted during the event.

As part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Arlington County Police Department will be collecting unused prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday at these two locations:

Arlington County Police Department
1425 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201

Fire Station #5
1750 S. Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202

For residents unable to attend the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Arlington County has four permanent drug take-back boxes available. The public can dispose of prescription medications 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with no questions asked at these locations:

Fire Station #2
4805 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203

Fire Station #5
1750 S. Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202

Fire Station #9
1900 S. Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, VA 22204

Arlington County Police Department
1425 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201

If you can't make it to any of those locations, here's where to find a year-round drug take-back site.

Since starting the permanent drug take-back program in June 2018, Arlington County has collected 8,000 pounds of medication.

Each year, millions of people misuse prescription pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives.

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives that year.

The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from a home medicine cabinet.

More than 96,700 people died from opioid-involved overdoses during the 12-month period ending in March 2021, according to provisional estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics.

The Environmental Protection Agency offers guidance on items not accepted during take-back events, including the disposal of sharps and other medical waste. The Food and Drug Administration offers tips on getting rid of liquid medicines that are expired or no longer needed.

Given the ongoing pandemic, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency also have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs without leaving home.