National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The Drug Enforcement Administration is hosting the 18^th Annual Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26 from 10 am to 2 pm to provide a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of unwanted prescription medication and is an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. This ensures that the medications do not end up in the wrong hands or in the ecosystem.

“The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.” - DEA

Here is a list of the local departments that are participating along with their drop-ff locations:

Bristol County Sheriff's Office - Located at 400 Faunce Corner Road in Dartmouth.

Fall River Police Department - At Blessed Trinity Church located at 1340 Plymouth Avenue in Fall River.

New Bedford Police Department - Just outside the police headquarters located at 871 Rockdale Avenue. NBPD will also be at Riverside Park located at 383 Belleville Avenue.

"Meet members of the DEA 360 Strategy. Community resources will be available along with face painting, music, and a food truck." - NBPD

E-Cigarette & Vaping Devices Disposal Information
To help combat the continued vaping health crisis across the country, DEA will be also be collecting vaping pens and cartridges at NTBI collection sites. Through discussions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DEA has determined that vaping pens without the internal batteries are considered household hazardous waste, the exact same waste designation as the NTBI collected pharmaceuticals and can, therefore, be co-mingled with NTBI materials. Pens with batteries in them, however, are a different waste stream designation and, more importantly, are considered a potential fire hazard. For those that have batteries that cannot be removed, please inform the consumer to call their local hazardous waste management facility or they can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the devices for proper disposal.

Taunton Police Department - Located at 23 Summer Street.

Middleborough Police Department - Located at 350 Wood Street.

Wareham Police Department - At the Wareham Police Department located at 2515 Cranberry Highway.

“This year we will also be accepting vaping devices and cartridges. For safety reasons all batteries must be removed.” - Wareham Police Department

Westport Police Department - At the Westport Police SubStation located at 596 State Road. Any old or unused medications can be turned in for disposal.