Although some medications are prescribed by a doctor, when these pills are misused or fall into the wrong hands, the results can be devastating.
There were 17,029 overdose deaths from prescription opioids in 2017 alone.1 Several of these deaths could have been prevented if these medications were simply disposed of properly.
What Is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day?
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a day created to help people safely dispose of medications that are unused or that they no longer need. While there are collection sites open all year round, this day also acts to raise awareness on prescription drug abuse. This year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will take place on April 25.Why Is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Necessary?
Too often, people let their medications sit in medicine cabinets long past their expiration dates. Not only does this affect the efficacy of the drug, but this also increases the risk of abuse. Nosey toddlers, curious teenagers, or opioid-dependent house guests could all get their hands on these drugs and misuse them. The alternative would be to simply throw the whole pill bottle away but doing so still means that these medications may fall into the wrong hands. Instead of risking it, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient and safe way to dispose of these medications. In October 2019, National Take Back Day resulted in the collection of over 441 tons of medications.2 In one day alone, several medications that were at risk of being abused were removed from circulation completely.Along with cleaning out your medicine cabinet, this day is also a way to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse. An estimated 18 million people misused prescription medications in 2017 in the United States.3 What many people do not realize is that this misuse can lead to dependence. Eventually, this bad pattern can lead to an addiction that only formal prescription pill addiction treatment may be able to help the person quit. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reminds people that while they may not personally have a drug problem, there are several people out there who do, and taking steps to dispose of their medication properly could help with this issue.
Prescription medications may seem harmless, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Our Chicago substance abuse treatment center has worked with several patients whose problems began by misusing prescription medication. Instead of putting others at risk, dispose of your medication properly. If you are looking for a safe collection site in your area, visit takebackday.dea.gov/
At Banyan Chicago, we know that drug misuse can quickly snowball into an addiction that is hard to control. Instead of letting your substance abuse problem control your life or watching a loved one struggle, get help.
Call us today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about how you can get started.
Sources & References:
- NIH - Overdose Death Rates
- DEA - 18th National Take Back Day
- NIH - Misuse of Prescription Drugs
Alyssa, Director of Digital Marketing
Alyssa is the National Director of Digital Marketing and is responsible for a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. All articles have been written by Alyssa and medically reviewed by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne.
