OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — According to a release from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Omaha Field Division, it and the agencies it’s partnering with will hold a Drug Take Back Day this Saturday.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and gives people the opportunity to anonymously drop off unwanted medications for safe disposal.
The DEA said, “According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that last year, more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, marking the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year. Opioid-related deaths accounted for 75 percent of all overdose deaths in 2020.”
It added, “Across the five state Omaha Division, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, overdose deaths raised an average of approximately 24 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to the CDC. Nebraska marked the highest increase of the Division at nearly 44 percent, with 210 people dying from overdose in 2020 as compared to 146 in 2019. South Dakota was the only state in the Omaha Division to record a decrease in overdose deaths. Overdose numbers fell from 88 in 2019 to 74 in 2020, marking a 16 percent decrease.”
“It’s unfortunate that in our line of work, we’ve seen too many cases where a person’s drug addiction began by abusing prescription medications,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a way to safely and anonymously dispose of your unneeded medications. More importantly, it prevents medications from falling into the wrong hands. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to go through cabinets, collect medications and drop them off at a nearby Take Back site.”
Over 4,000 locations will be available nationwide. You can find your nearest location by visiting the DEA’s website.
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