National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 30

The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Public Safety’s Narcotics Enforcement Division, in partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies, are asking the public to turn in unused or expired medication for safe, anonymous disposal.

Collection points are located on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island and will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2022.

Since 2010, the public’s participation in the National Take Back Initiative has resulted in the collection and disposal of over 56,000 pounds of unused/expired prescription medications in Hawaiʻi.

Most of the NTBI locations will be conducted as drive-thrus, for ease and convenience for the public. You do not need to remove the labels or take the pills out of its containers. Simply toss them in a disposable bag and drop them off at the drive-thru locations. This service is free and anonymous – no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids, and other forms of medication will be accepted.

Please do not include any syringes, they will not be accepted. Vaping devices with batteries removed will be accepted.

“The National Take Back Initiative began as a way for potentially dangerous medications to be properly disposed of in order to help keep our ohana as well as our environment safe. Please join DEA and our partners in Hawaii on April 30th in ridding our communities of any unused, unneeded, or expired medications you may have.” said Mike Short, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Honolulu District Office.

“Common causes of prescription drug misuse and overdose are children finding and ingesting medication not meant for them, users experimenting with medications that are readily available in the home, and the belief that prescription drugs are less dangerous than illicit drugs,” said Hawaii Attorney General Holly T. Shikada. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides an opportunity to prevent accidental drug misuse and overdose.”

“Proper disposal of unwanted medications in the home reduces the possibility that those medications will cause harm to others or the environment. The Department of Public Safety joins with the DEA and its other partners in urging everyone to turn in their unwanted medications at the different take back locations on April 30, 2022,” said Narcotics Enforcement Division Administrator Jared Redulla.

Unused or expired medicine should be properly disposed of when no longer needed for which it was prescribed.

• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
• Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning. Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another; or children may mistake medicine for candy.

Expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Proper disposal reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering our drinking water supply or harming aquatic life.

For a list of designated collection sites, visit ag.hawaii.gov or takebackday.dea.gov.

If you are unable to participate in the National Take Back Initiative, a list of drug take back drop box locations is available at hawaiiopioid.org