PEORIA, Ill. – Saturday is “National Prescription Drug Takeback Day.”
It’s a day, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, where people are encouraged to dispose of unneeded prescription medications safely and with no repercussions, so that they do not get in the wrong hands.
“Every day, the men and women of the DEA work to protect Americans from deadly drugs and drug poisonings,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, in a news release. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is one of the ways we can help prevent addiction and deaths from opioids.”
More than 4,000 locations nationwide will have means set up in order to turn in your unused prescriptions, along with a number in the Peoria area, from local police departments to OSF HealthCare’s Center for Health, and at least one Kroger store. CLICK HERE to find a location near you. The locations are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are locations, however, that typically accept medications outside of those times throughout the year.
The CDC says more than 107,000 lives were lost nationally due to drug poisoning between August 2021 and August 2022. Officials say medications that are old, expired, or unwanted can be gateways to the use of opioids.
