The DEA Declares April 27 as National Drug Take Back Day
In a significant move to curb the growing challenges of prescription drug misuse, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proclaimed April 27, 2024, as the National Drug Take Back Day. The nation-wide initiative will be run from 10 AM to 2 PM, urging citizens to responsibly dispose of their unused or unwanted prescription drugs.
Community Partnerships Play a Crucial Role
For this auspicious event, the DEA is partnering with local authorities including the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition, the Kingsport and Bristol Police Departments, and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. These collaborations aim to bolster local efforts in combating drug abuse and addiction in the community. They will be providing convenient collection sites for members of the public to drop off their unused prescription drugs.
Location of Drop-off Sites
The drop-off venues will include the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office in Blountville, the Bristol TN Municipal Parking Lot on Anderson Street, and the Dobyns-Bennett Parking Lot in Kingsport. Additionally, select Food City Locations in Kingsport and Blountville will also serve as drop-off spots.
In Johnson City, the police will be accepting drop-offs at the Municipal and Safety Building parking lot on East Main Street.
Acceptable Types of Prescription Drugs for Collection
The officials have specified that tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs will be accepted at the collection sites. However, they stress that liquids, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.
The Purpose and Importance of the National Drug Take Back Day
This initiative aims to help prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths by encouraging the proper disposal of prescription drugs. It also educates the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Largely, this campaign will provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.
Seldom do we realize that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends. In many cases, from the home medicine cabinet. Consequently, the Take Back Day is an excellent opportunity to clean out medicine cabinets of drugs no longer needed or have expired, thus reducing easy accessibility to these drugs, especially for children and young teens.
For more information, the public can access the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition’s website at scadc.org.
