The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a one-day event intended to bring national awareness to the increasing prescription and controlled substance misuse. The service is free and anonymous, “no questions asked.”
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Unused or expired medicines that are stored in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse, especially by teens. 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.
On Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public will have another opportunity to prevent medication abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. To locate a collection site, go to https://takebackday.dea.gov/. The City of Tulsa has released the following location information on its website:
- Reasor’s, 7114 S. Sheridan Road
- Reasor’s, 4909 E. 41st St.
- Reasor’s, 3915 S. Peoria Ave.
- Walgreens, 1438 N. Lewis Ave.
- The M.e.t. Recycling Center, 3495 S. Sheridan Road
- Sand Springs Police Department, 602 W. Morrow Road
No syringes, inhalers or liquids will be accepted. For more information, call (918) 595-4475. Funding has been provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Unwanted prescription drugs are accepted at Tulsa Police Division headquarters and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s office any time of the year.
