Dozens of County Locations to Participate in National Drug Take-Back Day

San Diego County residents who want to get rid of expired, unused, or unwanted drugs will have the chance to safely discard them Saturday at multiple locations during National Drug Take Back Day.

The effort, organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, is intended to underscore the importance of taking commonly abused drugs out of circulation.

A complete list of nationwide dropoff sites is available at www.dea.gov/takebackday.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will collect and dispose of these medicines from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:

— Alpine Sheriff’s Station – 2751 Alpine Blvd.

— Imperial Beach Sheriff’s Substation – 845 Imperial Beach Blvd. Imperial Beach

— San Marcos Sheriff’s Station – 182 Santar Place, San Marcos

— Poway Sheriff’s Station – 13100 Bowron Road, Poway

“For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans remove unnecessary medications — those that are old, unwanted, or expired — from their homes,” according to the DEA. “These medications can be a gateway to addiction, and have helped fuel the opioid epidemic.”

In 2023, more than 110,000 people died from drug poisonings and drug-related deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DEA officials said that according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained it from a relative or friend.

During the last Take Back Day in April, DEA officials said 335 tons of unwanted medications were collected nationwide. Since the Take Back program began in 2010, roughly 9,285 tons have been collected.

Collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The sites will not accept any liquids, syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs.

The DEA noted that provisions in the federal Secure & Responsible Drug Disposal Act authorize pharmacies, hospitals, and other facilities to serve as collection sites year-round.

–City News Service