NASHVILLE, Tenn.— What if you could clean out clutter, prevent addiction, and protect the quality of your drinking water all at the same time?  This Saturday, you can!

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), state and local government partners, dozens of substance use prevention coalitions, and law enforcement agencies are teaming up for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 27.  There are more than 110 locally organized events across Tennessee with most scheduled for 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m local time.

Find a Take Back Day Event near you using this interactive map. https://tntogether.com/takebackday/

Take Back Day is an opportunity for anyone to safely and securely dispose of medications in their home that are either expired or no longer needed.  In 2023, Tennesseans disposed of nearly 13,000 pounds of medications across the two Take Back Days in April and October. 

“Chances are good you have prescription medications that you don’t need anymore.  Disposal is easy and fast at one of our Take Back Day events.  With prescription opioids and other medications, there’s risk of misuse and potential addiction.  By getting them out of your house, you might prevent years of heartache or even save a life,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW. 

“Safe and secure disposal of prescription drugs protects public health and Tennessee’s waterways,” said David Salyers, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day helps raise awareness about this important issue and TDEC is proud to be a part of it.”

For people unable to stop by a Take Back Day event, there are 379 permanent drug drop boxes located across the state with at least one in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties.  In 2023, Tennesseans safely and securely disposed of more than 57 tons of medications through the permanent drug drop boxes.