Saturday the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement are holding another National Prescription Drug Take-Back, after saying the take-back day in September 2014 would be the last one.
Across the country, people can drop off their unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications at designated locations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Matt Barden, a special agent with the DEA, said the Sept. 27, 2014 event was to be the last because of the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, but "for whatever reason, it's still trying to gain traction." The DEA released a final rule -- a description of the regulations as a result of the law's passage -- on Oct. 9, 2014.
Drug take-back days started for anti-drug abuse and environmental reasons in September 2010 and were held twice a year for four years. Barden noted that those who abuse drugs often get them from their friends and family.
"They would go to their house and they would go to their medicine cabinet and there would be a bottle of unused medication," he said. "The pills were being diverted and taken and people were becoming addicted. We found a huge cause and effect with it."
Barden said they had believed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act would eliminate the need for drug take-back days, but decided to start holding them again after public outcry.
Prior to the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act, only law enforcement could accept unused prescription medication. Afterward, others, including manufacturers, distributors, narcotic treatment programs, pharmacies, and hospitals, could start mail-back programs and collection receptacles if they met requirements.
"It now gave them the authority to take in unwanted unused medications from people on a daily basis instead of people waiting from April to September... to save up their medications," he said.
However, Barden noted setting up a collection or mail-back program involves time and work.
"Entities are still trying to figure out whether they can participate, want to participate, have the facilities and manpower to participate," he said. "It's still being worked out, but it's a good start."
He said the DEA has also realized that rural areas may be more dependent on the drug take-back days than urban areas.
"Your only means of disposing it might be these take-back initiatives," he said. "That's what we've figured out."
He said there is currently no talk of the take-back days ending.
"The national take-backs as of right now will continue," he said.
Barden said participation in the take-back days had increased since they started.
Over 4,200 local DEA agencies and law enforcement partners have operated over 5,800 collection sites around the country.
At the last one, 4,076 partners participated to collect 617,150 pounds, or 309 tons at 5,495 sites, Barden said. The cumulative total collected at the nine events was 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons.
"You're really talking big numbers, and when you're talking about 120 people dying a day - there is a direct link," Barden said.
Charleston locations include the One Stop parking lot at 1639 Washington Street East, the Walgreens parking lot at 655 Washington Street West, the New Covenant Recreation Center at 1411 2nd Avenue, the State Capitol in the east wing/attorney general's office, CVS Pharmacy plaza east at 1327 Plaza East, the Foodland parking lot at 50th and Maccorkle Avenue Southeast and the Rite Aid at 1015 Bridge Road.
Some other sites in the region include the West Virginia State Police headquarters at 711 Jefferson Road in South Charleston, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office Elkview, Quincy, Cross Lanes, St. Albans and Sissonville detachments, the St. Albans Police Department, the Nitro Police Department, the Kenna Volunteer Fire Department, the West Virginia State Police at 3389 Winfield Road in Winfield, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department and the Boone County courthouse.
Visit the DEA site to find a location near you.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazette.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.