10,000 pounds of unneeded medications collected in Kentucky

There are many permanent drug-drop boxes located in communities across the country.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The Drug Enforcement Administration reports the April 30 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day resulted in the collection of more than 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications nationwide, including more than 10,000 pounds in Kentucky.

Since 2010, the DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has collected nearly 16 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications during the twice a year event.

“National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an important part of DEA’s efforts to fight the overdose epidemic and save lives,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “I encourage everyone across the country to dispose of unneeded medications throughout the year to help keep our communities safe and healthy.”

Across the Louisville Division, which includes the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, over 28,000 pounds of medications were collected at sites located across the three-state region. Tennessee collected the most, with 12,385 pounds; followed by Kentucky, with 10,307 pounds dropped off at collection sites; and West Virginia, with 5,915 pounds.

“I want to thank everyone across the Louisville Division who supported DEA’s prescription drug take back effort by safely disposing of their expired and unneeded medications,” said Louisville Division Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott. “At a time when American drug overdose deaths are at record numbers, anything we do to make our communities safer can make a difference.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, over 107,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose last year. This figure means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug overdose every five minutes.

Take Back Day events provide easy, no-cost opportunities to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to abuse and theft. There are many permanent drug-drop boxes located in communities across the country.

A list of permanent locations can be found here. Just enter your zip code or city and state to find the nearest collection points.