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<td><center><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">EXTERNAL MESSAGE</span><br></strong>This email originated outside of DEP. Please use caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding to this email.</center></td>
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<td class="elementToProof" data-govdstyle="all" data-govdtitle="Masthead" style="width: 601.979px; height: 143.906px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b><br>
<b>Contact: DEA Public Affairs</b><br>
<b>571-776-2508</b></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">Press Release</span></h1>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">DEA’s National Take Back Day Returns April 26 to Help<br>
Prevent Prescription Drug Misuse</span></h2>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"><b>WASHINGTON, DC </b>–The Drug Enforcement Administration, in coordination with more than 4,400 law enforcement partners across the country, will host the 28<sup>th</sup> National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday,
April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering communities across the United States a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of unneeded prescription medications.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">With nearly </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 87, 130);"><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.dea.gov%2Ftakebackday%3FUtm_campaign=20250423%26Utm_content=%26utm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019662f57b92-dd991be1-99d8-4ab2-9bdf-ac2de0ed3412-000000/fNz0qsXxGrsLonMsBeeZP5zrCCECoKZz1vX380az_Ok=402" target="_blank" id="OWA8a3327f7-2076-bb26-d383-4587bf96836c" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/QhQICzpYkXCRO22ncxUlc99cZz?domain=links-1.govdelivery.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(29, 87, 130); margin: 0px;">4,500
collection sites</a></span><span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> nationwide, Take Back Day aims to reduce the risk of prescription drug misuse by helping Americans safely remove expired, unwanted, or unused medications from their homes—medications that might
otherwise be misused.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">For sixteen years, DEA has worked with state and local partners to make safe medication disposal accessible to everyone, helping communities prevent prescription drug misuse and raise awareness of the dangers of keeping
unneeded medications in the home.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">“Disposing of unneeded, expired medications helps us protect the safety and health of our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “Families can minimize the risk of medications falling into the wrong
hands by simply bringing unused medications to one of the 4,500 drop-off locations this Saturday. National Prescription Drug Take Bay Day would not be possible without our incredible local and state law enforcement partners and the community groups who work
every year to make Take Back Day a success.”</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">DEA and its partners will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids, such as cough syrups, must remain tightly sealed in their original containers. Take Back Day locations will
accept vaping devices and cartridges if the lithium batteries are removed. Syringes, sharps, and illicit substances will not be collected.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">In October 2024, DEA and its partners collected nearly 630,000 pounds of medications. Since the program’s inception in 2010, more than 19.2 million pounds of medications have been collected and safely destroyed.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">Find a collection site near you for Saturday’s event by visiting
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 87, 130);"><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.deatakeback.com%2F%3FUtm_campaign=20250423%26Utm_content=%26utm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019662f57b92-dd991be1-99d8-4ab2-9bdf-ac2de0ed3412-000000/3L0nt1OTrv8V_kU3u4nD-imWEZHghNE52AdC2NKbfBA=402" target="_blank" id="OWA65b78232-7ce8-4fb8-2d69-2a5ecc25e8c7" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OhgbCADKp1i9GWWVCnczcG_ZZQ?domain=links-1.govdelivery.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkindex="2" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(29, 87, 130); margin: 0px;">www.DEATakeBack.com</a></span><span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">. </span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">For those unable to participate on April 26, nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and law enforcement locations offer year-round drug disposal options across the country to ensure
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 87, 130);"><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.dea.gov%2Feveryday-takeback-day%3FUtm_campaign=20250423%26Utm_content=%26utm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019662f57b92-dd991be1-99d8-4ab2-9bdf-ac2de0ed3412-000000/eTPAUhhPzno4UtORLHOx1n5qz2vPqzFz0KTDNjEvPQ0=402" target="_blank" id="OWA3a4ab4e3-cae2-bd7c-01f8-73b7ce95ac94" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/POavCBB9q6CVz44ACEf1c2IMKP?domain=links-1.govdelivery.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkindex="3" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(29, 87, 130); margin: 0px;">Every
Day is Take Back Day.</a></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"># # #</span></p>
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