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DEA and partners announce results of 20th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day New Orleans Field Division contributes 45,603 pounds to the collection tally NEW ORLEANS – DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day collected 829,543 pounds (419.7 tons) of unused, expired, and unwanted medications across the country. The New Orleans Field Division (NOFD) collected 45,603 pounds of that grand total. Americans once again showed their dedication toward helping prevent addiction and potential overdose by removing prescription pills from their homes. Our April event included 4,425 community partners at 5,060 collection sites throughout the country. “DEA’s biannual Take Back Day events are critical to helping reduce overdose deaths and alleviate addiction by safely disposing of prescription medications that sit idle in the home,” said DEA Acting Administrator D. Christopher Evans. “DEA is committed to providing a safe and secure method for the public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous drugs.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove even-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen or abused. Residents in this region took a vital step in reducing the risk of prescription drug diversion by turning in over 45,600 pounds of medications. DEA thanks the citizens and community partners for their vast support in this crucial event.” DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected 14,670,240 million pounds of medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010. On Oct. 24, 2020, the public turned in a record 985,392 pounds – almost 493 tons – of medication to DEA and 4,153 of its community partners at 4,587 collection sites nationwide, including 33 Bureau of Indian Affairs sites. DEA’s NOFD, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas, collected 45,603 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for disposal at collection sites throughout the division. The amounts collected for each state within the division was the following: Louisiana – 6,050 pounds; Mississippi –5,748 pounds; Alabama – 5,100 pounds; and Arkansas – 28,705 pounds. For those who could not make it to a Take Back location, DEA reminds the community that every day is Take Back Day with more than 11,000 year-round authorized collection sites across the country. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1. DEA also encourages the public to reach out to their local law enforcement to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations throughout their local community. Complete results for DEA’s April 2021 Take Back Day are available at www.deatakeback.com
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