Take Back Day events are a great opportunity for Tennesseans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. October will mark the 18th National Take Back event in the U.S. and it will take place across the state on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free and anonymous.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic. That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the state clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in – safely and anonymously – a record amount of prescription drugs. On the previous Take Back Day on April 27 (there are always two held each year, in Spring and Fall), 140 Take Back sites across the state collected 21,660 pounds of drugs (or 10.3 tons).
Afterschool Heals Tennessee will again support National Take Back Day in Tennessee. Join us on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and get another 10 tons in prescription drugs off the streets of our state.
To find a Take Back location near you, follow this DEA link: https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch. Another source for a Take Back Day map is https://countitlockitdropit.org/events/. You can also find posters, handouts, and videos at this link: https://takebackday.dea.gov/content/partnership-toolbox.