Attorney General Wilson encourages South Carolinians to safely dispose of unwanted medications Saturday

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – April 22, 2021 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson encourages all South Carolinians to take part in the 20th National Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 24^th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Twice a year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proclaims a national day to ask everyone to safely dispose of unused medication. At the last Take Back Day in October, the DEA collected a record-high amount of 985,392 pounds (492.7 tons) of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription drugs. South Carolinians dropped off 11,757 pounds last October. Both of those totals may include materials other than prescription drugs because the sites also take back vaping devices and vaping cartridges.

Last October, there were approximately 4,500 locations nationwide where you could drop off your unused or unwanted medicines. To find a location near you, go to TakeBackDay.DEA.gov.

“The message is clear and simple: take back and dispose,” Attorney General Wilson said. “There’s no question that South Carolina has an opioid crisis and this is a way anyone with unused opioids can fight that. We know that most people who are prescribed opioids don’t use all of them. We also know that most people who start using heroin did so after first becoming addicted to prescription opioids.”

A 2017 study found that up to 92 percent of patients prescribed opioids did not use their full prescription. Another study found that nearly 80 percent of Americans who recently started using heroin reported misusing prescription opioids first.

Go to your medicine cabinet, or wherever you keep medicine, and check for any unused or expired medications, including opioids. Opioids go by many names including Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, Opana, tramadol, morphine, Kadian, and Avinz.

In 2019, an average of 38 people a day in the U.S. died from overdoses involving prescription opioids. Just because something is prescribed doesn’t mean it is safe for all purposes. Each year, almost 10 million Americans abuse or misuse prescription pain medicines. The majority of those cases come from taking drugs from a family member’s or friend’s prescription.

Senior citizens are especially likely to keep unused pills. A grandparent’s medicine cabinet is an easy place for teenagers or other loved ones to fuel their addiction. Check your own medicine cabinet first and encourage loved ones to clean out their unused medications too.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 83,544 Americans overdosing during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2020, the most ever recorded in a 12-month period. The increase in drug overdose deaths appeared to begin prior to the COVID-19 health emergency, but accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic.

The public can drop off potentially dangerous prescription medications at collection sites that will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.

It’s not only opioids that pose a threat if not disposed of properly, though. Unused or expired medications can lead to accidental poisoning, misuse, and overdose. Proper disposal saves lives and protects the environment.

Collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted. Take Back sites will continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges at its drop off locations provided lithium batteries are removed.