Prescription Drug Disposal

Every year the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration coordinates a nation-wide Prescription Drug Take Back Day to address the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans have abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, and on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day thousands of people from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and safely and anonymously turn in prescription drugs to combat this crucial public safety and public health issue. In addition to addressing this public health issue, this event also prevents improperly disposing of prescription medicines which can contaminate public water supplies with pharmaceutical byproducts. Last year’s National Take Back Day in October saw 912,305 pounds of unused and expired medicine collected nationwide. In Georgia alone, 7,687 pounds were collected across 64 collection sites.

Our local Take Back Day will be held in Kennesaw on Saturday, April 28 from 10:00am - 02:00pm. Safely dispose of unused & expired medications at the Cobb County Police Precinct One at 2380 Cobb Pkwy NW in Kennesaw.

Accepted items include prescription & over-the-counter liquid and pill form medications, ointments, patches, creams and vials. This event does not accept needles, sharps, or durable medical equipment.

For more information, visit: https://takebackday.dea.gov/ or contact 770 528 1135.

For more information regarding drug/sharps disposal in Cobb County, please email KeepCobbBeautiful@cobbcounty.org.

To locate disposal sites that operate year-round, like many pharmacies, visit https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s2 to use the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Controlled Substance Public Disposal Locations search tool.

There are also disposal drop-boxes located throughout the state, listed at http://stoprxabuseinga.org/prescription-drug-disposal/.

Treatment Services Locator

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or related issues, there are many resources online that can guide your search for treatment. To locate resources in your area you can use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, available at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ , which is a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States. SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is also available to help. This is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service in English and Spanish for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.