STATEWIDE, OR—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality encourages Oregonians to take part in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, Oct. 29, starting at 10 a.m. (PDT). Drug take-back events provide safe, free and convenient disposal options to keep drugs out of the wrong hands and out of waterways.

Leftover or expired drugs can pose serious human health and environmental risks. Prescription medicines left in households can lead to accidental poisonings and abuse. Those thrown in the garbage or flushed down the toilet or drain can release chemical compounds that end up in rivers or groundwater and pose a risk to human health, fish and wildlife.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration , along with state and federal law enforcement partners, have organized national drug take-back collection events since 2010 and have collected a total of 7,995 tons of expired and unwanted prescription medicines.

Last April, DEA collected 721,093 pounds (360 tons) of expired or unwanted prescription drugs, including 6,000 pounds from Oregon.

Locate a free prescription drug take-back event at https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#collection-locator...

Unable to participate tomorrow? Oregon residents can safely dispose of unwanted household prescription and over-the-counter medicines year-round through the Oregon Drug Take-Back Program %204-TAKE,to%20order%20mail-back%20supplies.&text=Oregon%20has%20indicated%20that%20the,original%20container%20or%20sealed%20bag). It is free to use and offers the following services:

- Hand in your unwanted household medicines to a drop-off site: Take your unwanted medicines to a participating drop-off site, such as a pharmacy or law enforcement agency, and dispose of them in the on-site secure repository.
- Mail-back: Mail your unwanted medicines for disposal through a pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope.

You can locate a participating drop-off site or learn how to obtain a pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope by visiting https://medtakebackoregon.org/ or calling 844-482-5322 or 844-4-TAKE-BACK.

About the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality protects human health and the environment by controlling air and water pollution, reducing the impacts of manufactured products and cleaning up contaminated properties. DEQ engages the public in decision-making and helps communities solve problems in ways that are economically and environmentally sustainable.

Media Contact:
Susan C. Mills, DEQ public affairs specialist, Susan.Mills@deq.oregon.gov, 503-956-9648

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