BALTIMORE, MD (April 29, 2016) –  On Saturday, April 30th, Baltimore City Health officials will recognize National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a nationwide initiative to highlight safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs in communities, while raising awareness about prescription drug abuse.

Late last year, Baltimore City introduced permanent prescription return boxes at all nine Baltimore Police District stations to allow individuals to safely and anonymously return any expired or unused medication, including prescription opioids, such as Percocet, OxyContin or Vicodin— with no questions asked.

“We should guard our medicine cabinets with the same vigilance that we give our liquor cabinets,” said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. “These drop boxes offer easy access to a safe way to dispose of unwanted or out-of-date drugs and I urge residents to take advantage of these drop-off sites this Saturday—and every day. By keeping these medications from ending up in the wrong hands, we can combat prescription drug abuse and help prevent accidental overdoses from our loved ones, including our elderly family members and young children.”

Prescription drug misuse is a serious issue in Baltimore City and across the country. In 2013, 6.5 million people aged 12 and older used prescription drugs non-medically, according to federal data. More than half of prescription drug abusers get them from family or friends, and opioid misuse also often leads to heroin use.

Rates of prescription drug misuse have been steadily increasing and drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Studies show that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Removing the presence of unwanted or unused prescription medications from the home helps ensure the safety of family and friends.

“National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides an opportunity to focus on concrete steps that individuals and households can take to prevent substance use” said Kathleen Westcoat, President and CEO of BHSB. “By continuing to help friends and family members access substance use disorder treatment services, we can take the steps necessary to strengthen the health of residents across Baltimore City.”

Last year on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Americans turned in over 702,000 pounds of prescription drugs at more than 5,000 sites operated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and more than 3,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners.

In total, the DEA and its partners have taken in over 5.5 million pounds—more than 2,750 tons—of pills.

To find the prescription return box nearest you, please visit: https://www.baltimorepolice.org/your-district

To get help for a substance use disorder, individuals and/or family and friends can contact Baltimore City’s 24/7 Crisis Information and Referral line, 410-433-5175, for information on how to access treatment services. The CI&R line provided around the clock service 365 days a year.