DEA Announces 22nd National Prescription Take Back Day

    United States Attorney SHAWN N. ANDERSON, for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, will join the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Saturday, April 30^th for its 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  The biannual event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at thousands of collection sites around the country, including in Guam and the CNMI. This event offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

    Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 7,600 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. This event facilitates DEA’s ongoing efforts to combat the rise of overdoses plaguing the United States.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 105,000 people died in the United States in the 12-month period ending October 31, 2021, as the result of drug overdoses.  This marks the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period. Opioid related deaths accounted for 75 percent of all overdose deaths during this time. In 2021, citizens of Guam and the CNMI turned in over 2,270 pounds of unneeded prescription medication.

    The following sites in Guam and the CNMI are designated to receive unused prescription drugs and vaping device products on Saturday, April 30, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.:

• Agana Shopping Center (Center Court)
• Andersen Air Force Base Exchange (Entrance to Store)
• Dededo Senior Center
• Inarajan Mayor’s Office
• Naval Base Guam - Navy Exchange (Food Court)
• Saipan Commonwealth Health Center (Outpatient Pharmacy)
• Rota Health Center
• Tinian Health Center

    Contact DEA Resident Agent in Charge Kenneth Bowman at 671-472-7384 regarding any questions about prescription drug abuse and any concerns regarding drug-related activity on Guam or in the CNMI.

    For more information, go to www.dea.gov, www.DEATakeBack.com