Washington, DC – District of Columbia residents will have the option to safely dispose of household medications at drug take-back sites throughout the city. The upcoming “Take-Back” initiative, being held on Saturday, April 28, is an effort to safely collect unused and expired medications to prevent improper drug disposal and distribution.

The DC Department of Health, Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority are encouraging District residents to participate in this nation-wide effort. The Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with state and local governments, law enforcement, community, and public health organizations will host the drug “Take-Back” initiative for the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland areas.  Over the past 13 months, the DEA has successfully collected and properly disposed of more than 490 tons of pills through the “Take-Back” initiative.

The drug “Take-Back” initiative will help educate the public of proper medication disposal methods, as well as offer local take-back collection centers for people wanting to get rid of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted medicines.   Collection centers will be facilitated by the Washington area DEA, who will work with state and local police departments throughout the region to help collect and destroy medications.

The DEA will offer several collection sites Saturday, April 28th from 10 am to 2 pm.  The service is free and anonymous. Below is a list of collection sites in the District of Columbia.