NEW ORLEANS, La. (BRPROUD) — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field division, covering Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, collected over 40,000 pounds of dangerous expired prescription drugs.
The collected amounts for each state are listed below:
- Louisiana, 4,152 pounds
- Mississippi, 4,007 pounds
- Alabama, 3,575 pounds
- Arkansas, 28,480 pounds
The DEA collects unused and unwanted drugs for disposal throughout the division through an initiative called the ‘National Prescription Drug Take Back’.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram says, “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an important part of DEA’s efforts to fight the overdose epidemic and save lives. I encourage everyone across the country to dispose of unneeded medications throughout the year to help keep our communities safe and healthy.”
“Prescription medications often end up in the wrong hands, feeding an addiction epidemic that is killing Americans at record rates. It’s absolutely critical that we all do our part in ridding our homes of these unused medications and dispose of them safely at these Drug Take-Back events or at permanent drop sites throughout the year,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
Take Back Day events make it easy to dispose of medicines. There are drug-drop off boxes in communities across the nation. A list can be found here.
The next Drug Take Back day is scheduled for October 29, 2022.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdose last year. This means someone overdoses every five minutes.