The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a significant public health, safety, and national security threat. The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects the agency’s commitment to promoting the safety and health of Americans. This initiative encourages the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes, helping to prevent medication misuse and opioid addiction before it begins.

On Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Rochester Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will offer the public an opportunity — as they have for over ten years — to prevent pill abuse and theft by disposing of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

You can bring your pills for disposal to the Rochester Police Department at 23 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH. Please note that sites cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps — only pills or patches. This service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

Additionally, on DEA National Take Back Day, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

• The DEA will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only if the batteries are removed from the devices. Please be aware that neither the Police Department nor the DEA is responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.
• If the battery cannot be removed, consumers can check with large electronic chain stores, which may accept vape pens or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal.
• Consumers may also contact their local Hazardous Materials Management Facility for guidance on whether they accept these devices and how to properly dispose of them.

This initiative addresses a critical public health and safety issue. Medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Prescription drug abuse rates in the U.S. remain alarmingly high, as does the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses related to these medications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health repeatedly shows that most misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often taken from home medicine cabinets. Furthermore, Americans are now advised that common methods of disposing of unused medications — such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — can pose significant safety and health risks.

For more information about prescription drug disposal or the October 26 Drug Take Back Day event, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.