National Drug Take-Back Day - Tennessee Afterschool Network

WE’RE GOING DIGITAL FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23

Saturday, October 23, is National Drug Take-Back Day. Please scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the materials we have collected for your use.

You can join us as a digital advocate and get your students to help. It makes a great virtual activity during the pandemic and can serve as a way to build awareness about addiction to prescription pain medications and to encourage people to drop off their unused medications. If you are working on any drug avoidance education programs with your students, this could be a great jumping off point.

It’s easy to participate. You can follow United Ways of Tennessee on Facebook or Twitter and simply like and share (or retweet) their posts. Or, you can use the artwork, videos, and suggested posts below and customize them across your own channels. Feel free to change the materials to suit your needs, or use them to create your own. These materials are courtesy of the CDC, the DEA, and CountIt!LockIt!DropIt!

FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU

CountIt!LockIt!DropIt! Links
East TN: https://countitlockitdropit.org/east-tennessee/
Middle TN: https://countitlockitdropit.org/middle-tennessee/
West TN: https://countitlockitdropit.org/west-tennessee/

Resource Links

The following are useful links to drug facts and resource materials during and after #TakeBackDay.

DEA Red Ribbon Social Media & Pledge Campaign for Students, October 15 to 23.
DEA’s image gallery: generic pill and drug photos
Take Back Partnership Toolbox: TakeBack posters and pamplets
Drugs of Abuse: DEA publication w/facts about most commonly abused drugs
www.JustThinkTwice.com (for teens)
www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com (for parents, caregivers, and teachers)
www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov (for teachers and college campus community leaders/advisors)
www.OperationPrevention.com

Sample #TakeBackDay Social Media Posts

Please start using the sample social media posts below today! Use them in their entirety, or modify them for your local audience. The artwork to accompany these posts is located at the very bottom of this page.

Don’t be an accidental drug dealer. Join us on Sat., Oct. 23 at locations across TN on the DEA’s National Drug Take-Back Day. Join this event to find a site near you, then drop off your old, unused prescriptions. https://countitlockitdropit.org/events/
National Prescription Drug #TakeBackDay–happening Saturday, October 23, 10am-2pm. Get information and find a collection site near you: www.DEATakeBack.com
CLEANUP your medicine cabinet of unused, unwanted Rx meds and drop them off on October 23, 10am-2pm, local time. Find out where now: www.DEATakeBack.com #TakeBackDay
Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment and our overall community. Share this post and start preparing now for #TakeBackDay. www.DEATakeBack.com
Dispose of your expired, unused, unwanted Rx drugs, no questions asked! #TakeBackDay is Saturday, October 23, 10am-2pm. Find a collection site near you at www.DEATakeBack.com
Did you know that one Facebook share can make a huge difference in creating a safer world for us all? Spread the word to your friends and family by sharing this post and using the #TakeBackDay hashtag to promote the proper disposal of unused or expired medications, including in-person collection sites for participating states on October 23! You never know who you could be helping. www.DEATakeBack.com
64% of Tennesseans know someone addicted to prescription drugs. Don’t be a dealer. Count your pills, lock them up, and drop off your unused drugs on Oct. 23, National Drug Take-Back Day. Find a location near you: https://countitlockitdropit.org/events/
TN collected more than 10 tons of pills in October 2019. Help us do it again on Oct. 23. Count It! Lock It! Drop It! at a location near you. https://countitlockitdropit.org/events #TakeBackDay
Prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription #opioids. Count It! Lock It! and Drop It! on Saturday, Oct. 23. #TakeBackDay
www.DEATakeBack.com
Safe #opioid storage and disposal can prevent abuse. Count It! Lock It! and Drop It! on Oct. 23 #TakeBackDay www.DEATakeBack.com
60% of patients say their doctor or pharmacist did not tell them about the potential for #OpioidAddiction. Dispose of your left-over meds on Oct. 23 and learn more at www.DEATakeBack.com #TakeBackDay
Last year, 6 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs.
#TakeBackDay events on Oct. 23 provide an opportunity for Tennesseans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. Join us:
www.DEATakeBack.com
Tennessee is 13th in the nation for #opioid deaths. #PreventOpioidAbuse – properly dispose of your unused medications on Oct. 23 at drop boxes located in participating law enforcement offices or pharmacies across TN. #TakeBackDay https://countitlockitdropit.org/events/
TN is 3rd in the nation for #opioid prescriptions. In 2017, TN had more opioid prescriptions than citizens. Reverse this trend – don’t be a dealer. Drop off your unused meds on Oct. 23. #TakeBackDay
www.DEATakeBack.com
The 19th Annual Prescription Drug #TakeBackDay is Oct. 23. Keep track of your prescription pain meds, don’t share, and drop off any unused meds at a location near you. #PreventOpioidAbuse
www.DEATakeBack.com
9 out of every 10 Americans who are at least 60 years old say they have taken at least 1 prescription drug within the last month. Don’t be a pill pusher! Join us on Oct. 23 to drop off your unused meds. #TakeBackDay www.DEATakeBack.com
Don’t be an accidental pill pusher. Join us on Oct. 23 at sites across TN on National Drug #TakeBackDay. Follow this link to find a site near you, then drop off your old, unused prescriptions. https://countitlockitdropit.org/events/

For use a week before #TakeBackDay on Saturday, October 23:

Find the location nearest you and dispose of unwanted prescription drugs on #TakeBackDay! October 23th from 10am-2pm. www.DEATakeBack.com
Don’t be surprised by what is in your medicine cabinet. If you haven’t used them, don’t need them, or they’re expired, drop them off at a #TakeBackDay collection site near you on Saturday! www.DEATakeBack.com
ARE YOU READY? Counting down-only X days until #TakeBackDay on Saturday! Find out locations near you: www.DEATakeBack.com
IT’S SIMPLE: Avoid having misplaced, stolen or misused drugs stolen by cleaning out your medicine cabinet. #TakeBackDay is this Saturday. Spread #Awareness in your community! www.DEATakeBack.com
#TakeBackDay is just a week away! But don’t worry, cleaning out your medicine cabinet takes just a few minutes and there are plenty of convenient collection sites near you. Sharing this post takes seconds too. Just a small effort can have a huge impact! Visit www.DEATakeBack.com to learn more.

Use On #TakeBackDay Saturday, October 23:

Collection sites open NOW! Help loosen the grip of Rx drug abuse-turn them in today: www.DEATakeBack.com #TakeBackDay #opioidcrisis
Stand up and do something about our nation’s #drugepidemic #opioidcrisis! Be there, be aware, do your share NOW on #TakeBackDay: www.DEATakeBack.com
#TakeBackDay collection sites are NOW OPEN nationwide! Help keep your community stay safe by cleaning out your medicine cabinet and taking back expired, unused, or unwanted meds for safe disposal! Find a collection site near you. www.DEATakeBack.com

VIDEOS

Follow this link to the CDC page for PSAs that promote October 23.

#SecureYourMeds Instead

Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes.

Although National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has not been cancelled this October, many municipalities are still not participating due to the ongoing pandemic. Visit the National Take Back Initiative Collection Site Page to find a location open on Oct. 24 near you. If no location is open, visit Year-Round Pharmaceutical Disposal Locations to find one of these locations near you. Call first to determine their hours of operation.

Use the assets below to advocate on social media about other ways to dispose of and keep medications safe if there is no Prescription Take Back Day in your area.

#SecureYourMeds Sample Social Media Posts

Unused expired, and unwanted medicines left in home cabinets are at risk for abuse, misuse, and theft. #SecureYourMeds while you’re at home during the #COVID19 pandemic. More information at https://go.usa.gov/xGeXX
Clean your medicine cabinets and keep the prescription medications safe and out of reach of children and others in the household during this health crisis. Learn how to secure your meds at home https://go.usa.gov/xGeXB
#SecureYourMeds in a safe location in the home out of reach of children and others and hold them until You find a permanent drop off location. Find a year-round collection site at https://go.usa.gov/xGeXD

#SecureYourMeds Resources

Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines (Source: Food & Drug Administration (FDA))

How to Dispose of Medicines Properly (Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA))

Year-Round Collection Sites prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 authorized collectors at any time.

#SecureYourMeds Graphics

Just right click and choose “Save image as,” for any graphic below: