DEA's April Drug Take Back event returns after being canceled last year

After being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s spring Drug Take Back Day will be held April 24.

The nationwide event serves as a way for citizens to turn in unwanted, unused or expired prescription medication in an effort to keep it out of the wrong hands. Several police departments around the region typically participate in the event, which is held twice a year.

But 2020 was an anomaly. With the April 2020 event canceled, the agency collected nearly 1 million pounds of prescription medication in October, a record amount. The 985,392 pounds of medication collected nationwide — nearly 493 tons — was the most in the program’s 10-year history. In October, there were 4,587 collection sites nationwide, fewer than normal.

DEA officials said drug overdose deaths have been increasing in recent months, accelerating during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning that more than 81,000 people died from a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending in May 2020, a record number.

Westmoreland County saw a slight increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in 2020, according to preliminary coroner statistics. Allegheny County saw an uptick, too, according to statistics provided by OverdoseFreePa.

Items that will be accepted at the April 24 event include tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription medication. There are numerous sites, including hospitals and pharmacies, around the area that serve as drop-off points for unwanted prescription medication year-round. To find one near you, use the search tool here.