Keep Your Community Clean and Safe: Visit SAFE’s Medication Take Back Day Event April 26

National Medication Take Back Day, a day for people to safely and anonymously drop off unwanted medicine, is on April 26. It’s important to know how you can contribute to removing potentially dangerous medicines from homes to keep families safe.

SAFE Coalition is hosting drive-thru disposal stations in multiple Massachusetts towns including Franklin, Norfolk, Foxborough, Medway, and Wrentham. Over-the-counter medicines, prescriptions including opioids, and devices including vapes and cartridges are all accepted. Learn more here.

Having unused or expired prescriptions at home can be dangerous. In 2023, 20% of individuals in possession of opioid prescriptions misused them, either by taking unapproved higher doses or in a manner unauthorized by their care providers.

Unwanted medications can collect dust in cabinets or be scattered throughout the home, leading to dangerous situations including accidental overdose or poisoning if children, pets, or other individuals gain access to them. And flushing substances can contaminate the water supply and harm aquatic wildlife.

SAFE Coalition partners with Deterra to implement effective and safe methods for substance disposal within their organization. For those who can’t make it to a Take Back event, community members can also visit the Deterra website to purchase drug deactivation systems like disposal pouches, lockboxes, and containers.

The takeback day initiative was started by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2010 and occurs in April and October. Organizations across the country work to set up drop off stations where individuals can dispose of unused or expired substances anonymously and without judgement.

Together, we can take the proper steps to keep our communities safe and healthy. Join SAFE Coalition in making a difference for Medication Take Back Day 2025.