Idahoans encouraged to dispose of unused or expired medication during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Press Release from Idaho Office of Drug Policy
The 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began the initiative in 2010 to provide easy, anonymous opportunities to properly dispose of medications that are highly susceptible to misuse and theft.
This year, local law enforcement and prevention partners have organized Take Back Day collection events across Idaho to provide accessible, convenient opportunities for the community to safely drop off unused or expired prescriptions. Sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid prescription drugs, as well as vaping devices and cartridges (with lithium batteries removed). Liquids must be tightly sealed in original containers.
Syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted.
To find a Take Back Day event in your area, visit the DEA National Take Back Day webpage at www.dea.gov/takebackday and enter your zip code into the Collection Site Locator search tool.
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 8.6 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers in the past year. Among those aged 12 or older who misused them, approximately 40 percent got the medication from a friend or relative, either by being given it, buying it, or taking it without permission. Another 47.0 percent obtained the pain relievers through a prescription or by stealing them from a healthcare provider. Of those, 44.3 percent received the prescription from a single doctor.
Idaho is not immune to the problem of prescription misuse. According to the NSDUH, approximately 4.2 percent of Idahoans aged 12 and older, or about 65,000 people, reported misusing prescription pain relievers in the past year. This rate is notably higher than the national estimate of 3 percent, with Idaho’s rate coming in 1.2 percent higher.
Substance misuse and drug overdose deaths have continued to climb in Idaho, with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare’s Idaho Drug Overdose Data Dashboard reporting 386 drug overdose-related deaths in 2023 and 3,711 drug overdose-related emergency department visits in 2024. The detrimental impacts of prescription misuse make it even more vital for Idahoans to remove unused medications from our homes, where they can easily find their way into the wrong hands.
The Idaho Office of Drug Policy appreciates the efforts of Take Back Day event organizers across the state; and encourages Idahoans to take advantage of this opportunity to help prevent drug misuse and improve the health and safety of our communities.
Help keep Idaho safe from the dangers of prescription misuse by dropping off your old medication on Saturday, April 26th.
If you miss your local Take Back Day and need to dispose of prescription medications, find year-round drop-off locations online at odp.idaho.gov/prescription-drug-take-back-program/
