Prescription Drug Take Back Day Set for April 26

 On Saturday, April 26  Montgomery County law enforcement agencies, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will give residents an opportunity to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your unused medications for disposal to any one of the 11 drop-off locations in Montgomery County between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. No liquids or syringes will be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions will be asked.

Drop-off locations in Montgomery County:

Chevy Chase Village Police Drug Take Back Location
5906 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase

Gaithersburg City Police Take Back Location
14 Fulks Corner, Gaithersburg

Maryland State Police
7915 Montrose Rd, Rockville

Montgomery County Police Drug Take-Back Locations 
1st District (Rockville) Station – 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg
2nd District (Bethesda) Station – 7359 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda
3rd District (Silver Spring) Station – 801 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring
4th District (Wheaton) Station – 2300 Randolph Road, Wheaton
5th District (Germantown) Station – 20000 Aircraft Drive, Germantown
6th District (Montgomery Village) Station – 45 West Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg

Rockville City Police Drug Take Back Location
Rockville City Police Building Lobby – #2B W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville

Takoma Park Police Drug Take Back Location
Takoma Park Community Center Lobby – 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park

Last October, Americans turned in more than 647,000 pounds of prescription drugs at more than 4,114 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its seven previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 3.4 million pounds of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards to our water supply.

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