Published October 16th, 2023

Milford, MA- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will once again conduct one of its most popular community programs: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 28, 2023, from 10:00am – 2:00pm. The public can dispose of their unwanted prescription medications at the Milford Senior Center located at 60 North Bow St., with the assistance of the Milford Police Department. The collection site will be located outside the front entrance to the Milford Senior Center.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and 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. DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.

Last April, during the Take Back Day, the DEA New England Field Division participated in the event. There was a total of 4,497 law enforcement agencies that participated, over the course of four hours, 663,725 lbs. (332 Tons) of expired, unused, unwanted prescription drugs were collected at 4,955 collection sites throughout the country. In Massachusetts, 180 law enforcement agencies participated collecting a total of 26,221 lbs. of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.

Please help us in keeping our community safe from this dangerous hazard.