Clean out your medicine cabinets for Drug Take Back Day on April 24

The DEA’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 24. The national event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, helping to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths by cleaning out those home medicine cabinets.

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.

Locally, the San Diego Police Department’s Northwestern Division will be a drop-off location for Drug Take Back Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The station is located at 12592 El Camino Real in Carmel Valley.