Time to Turn in Unwanted Meds – Saturday is Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Contact: Laura Williams, Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. here in Volusia County.  Are you ready?

It’s your chance to safely rid your home of unwanted prescription drugs – to help reduce the chance of tragic accidents or intentional misuse as well as keep them out of our water supply.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are committed to making our communities safer and healthier. That’s why it’s so important to gather your unused or expired medication from your home and bring it to any of these five Sheriff’s Office district locations:

• District 2: 1706 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand;
• District 3 North: 1435 U.S. 1, Suite D-3, Ormond Beach;
• District 3 South: 101 E. Canal St., New Smyrna Beach:
• District 4: 1691 Providence Blvd., Deltona;
• District 6: 79 S. Charles Beall Blvd., DeBary;

In addition to Take Back Day, each VSO site has a locked, steel mailbox-style disposal receptacle so you can safely dispose these medications anytime during regular business hours all year long, no questions asked. Or Volusia residents may call a deputy to pick up the medications. Call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number (386) 248-1777 to request a pickup.

This important annual event is geared toward helping everyone conveniently get rid of medication and vaping devices that have been linked to injuries, addiction and overdose deaths.

In 2021, the DEA collected and destroyed nearly 1.6 million pounds of unneeded drugs during the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events. In addition, the DEA and its partners seized more than 20 million fake prescription pills in 2021 and kicked off the One Pill Can Kill campaign to alert the public about counterfeit pills. Many fake pills are made to look like prescription opioids and often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly. The DEA web site www.dea.gov/resources offers important resources for locating drug treatment as well as how to identify counterfeit pills, preventing drug addiction and more.