Image courtesy DEA

Kansas residents participated in the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 25, a nationwide effort to help safely dispose of unused or expired medications and reduce the risk of prescription‑drug misuse.

In Kansas, 7,220 pounds were collected from 67 collection sites across the state with participation from 106 law enforcement agencies, bringing the all-time collection total in Kansas to 285,209 pounds.

Community officials say the effort is about more than just getting rid of pills. Having expired or unused medications sitting in homes is a major source of diversion, misuse and accidental poisoning. Law‑enforcement and public‑health groups hope this event helps spark conversations among families and encourages year‑round safe disposal.

Nationally, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law‑enforcement partners collected 571,054 pounds-or 286 tons- of medications at 4,317 collection sites and participation from 4,263 law enforcement agencies. The all-time total weight collected is now at 20,391,815 pounds across the country.

For those who missed the October event, year-round drop-off locations can be found on the DEA website.