United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BOSTON - The final tally is in from the 14th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 28th, 2017.  The Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field (NEFD) and its partners, over the course of four hours, collected 96,130 pounds or 48 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs at 578 collection sites throughout New England.  This is in comparison to the first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on September 2010, when the NEFD collected 25,810 pounds of unwanted drugs.  It is estimated that 10% of the drugs collected are opioid pain killers which would represent approximately 9,600 pounds of opioids that are out of medicine cabinets and potentially off our streets.

“We are pleased to see that New Englanders are motivated and continue to make their homes safer for our youth,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Approximately 137 of our neighbors, friends, co-workers and loved ones are dying every day from opioid-related overdoses.  These efforts help remove unwanted, expired and unused prescription pills that can be abused, stolen, or resold which helps our continued dedication to combat the prescription pill, heroin, and fentanyl epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.”

The following is a breakdown of collected weights for the six New England States:

Connecticut                5,814.4 pounds
Massachusetts           25,837.43 pounds
Maine                        41,581 pounds
New Hampshire        13,160 pounds
Rhode Island               3,825 pounds
Vermont                      5,912.70 pounds
Total                         96,130.13 pounds -