Drug Take Back Day Is April 30 In Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Have any old medications you no longer need? If so, the Falls Church Police Department will gladly dispose of them for you.

The department will host a collection site near the police entrance outside city hall (300 Park Ave.) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30 as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Drug Take Back Day.

The public can safely and anonymously drop off potentially dangerous prescription drugs and/or unwanted or expired over-the-counter medications during the event.

Accepted materials include tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription or non-prescriptions drugs. Vaping devices and cartridges are accepted, provided lithium batteries are removed. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 93,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2020, an increase of 29 percent from 2019. 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.

With studies indicating a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets, clearing out unused medicine is essential.

At its last Take Back Day in Oct. 2021, DEA collected over 372 tons of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications at over 5,000 Take Back Day sites.

Over the 10-year span of Take Back Day, DEA has brought in more than 7,634 tons of prescription drugs. For more information about Take Back Day and additional Collection Sites, visit TakeBackDay.dea.gov.