Twice-yearly Drug Take Back Day events help combat opioid crisis

Americans nationwide did their part to reduce the opioid crisis as part of the 14th Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 28. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced that a record-setting 912,305 pounds — 456 tons — of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs was collected for disposal at more than 5,300 collection sites during Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 28.

That’s almost six tons more than what was collected at last spring’s event. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by the DEA beginning in the fall of 2010 to 9,015,668 pounds, or 4,508 tons.

As the state’s largest health insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and BCN started supporting the DEA’s Drug Take Back Day in 2011.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the country’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.

“More people start down the path of addiction through the misuse of opioid prescription drugs than any other substance,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson. “The abuse of these prescription drugs has fueled the nation’s opioid epidemic, which has led to the highest rate of overdose deaths this country has ever seen.”

The DEA’s next Drug Take Back Day is April 28, 2018, so mark your calendar. We’ll bring you more information in the April Record.