The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. 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 in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

On Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Rochester Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public the opportunity that has been provided for over ten years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your pills for disposal to the Rochester Police Department at 23 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH on October 23rd (Sites cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.). The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

In addition to prescription medication, on the DEA National Take Back Day on October 23, 2020, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm:

1. DEA will collect vape pens or other e‐cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed from the devices. It is important to stress that neither the Police Department nor the DEA is responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.
2. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores that may accept the vape pen or e‐cigarette devices for proper disposal.
3. Individual consumers may also contact their local Hazardous Materials Management Facility to determine if they accept these devices, and for additional guidance regarding proper disposal.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 23 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.