DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is this weekend in Apopka

From Staff Reports and the DEA Take-Back Day website

DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, October 23rd from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Orange Country Sheriff's Office Substation located at 1111 North Rock Springs Road in Apopka. Residents can dispose of their old prescription medications in a safe, convenient, and responsible way. For more collection sites, visit DEA's Take Back Day page.

Also known as National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, this day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Since 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration event has collected more than 6,800 tons of prescription drugs, including opioid and other medications susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

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 DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.

Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That's dangerous and often tragic. That's why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in - safely and anonymously - a record amount of prescription drugs.

Treatment Services Locator

You can use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories). To find resources in your area, go here.