FORT WAYNE – Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 27, 2024, as the Indiana State Police partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for their 26th “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of unwanted prescription drugs.
Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs, which will be appropriately disposed of without harming the environment. This program is for pill and liquid medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles or sharps of any kind WILL NOT be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous, and no questions are asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose potential safety and health hazards.
Once again, the Indiana State Police is pleased to partner with the DEA, and as in the past, unwanted medications may be dropped off at any Indiana State Police Post, except for the Toll Road Post.
The Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post will host their collection site from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on April 27, 2024. The Fort Wayne Post is at 5811 Ellison Road, just off the I-69/US24 interchange.
NEEDLES or SHARPS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR DISPOSAL. Please help keep our officers safe by ensuring no needles or sharps are included in your contents at drop-off.
To locate the State Police Post closest to your home or business, click this link for Indiana State Police on the Map. To find other locations in Indiana or across the U.S. participating in the Drug Take Back initiative, click this link to the DEA.
