What prompted DEA to hold a take-back day?
DEA is charged with protecting the public’s health and safety when it comes to controlled substances. Prescription drugs containing controlled substances are being misused and abused at alarming rates in America today, leading to cases of accidental poisoning, overdose and addiction, making them a public safety issue. A factor contributing to their increased usage is their availability in the home medicine cabinet. In many cases, medicines containing controlled substances remain in the home medicine cabinet long after therapy has been completed, thus making these drugs easily accessible to others who would misuse or abuse them. The Controlled Substances Act provides limited options for consumers to legally dispose of their old medicines. At this time, most communities do not routinely offer consumers the opportunity to properly dispose of these medicines. As a result, many people keep the drugs because they do not know how to dispose of them. So, DEA is holding this take-back day to he
