Drug Take Back Day has become a staple with many organizations throughout the U.S. since its inception in September, 2010.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) started and continues the program to prevent increased pill abuse and theft, which can lead to illegal distribution. Law enforcement agencies in Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties usually host local take back opportunities.

Captain Jason Haase, of the Hastings Police Department, said drug take back day events are important to decrease the chances of drug abuse, which he and other police officers see often.

“We don’t see it so much with the people the medicine is prescribed to, but we respond to a lot of thefts that include medication that’s taken,” he said.

Stolen medication can then lead to selling the drug on the streets, essentially leading to drug abuse by those who purchase it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 263,000 Americans have lost their lives to prescription drug overdoses between 1999-2020. The CDC also notes the prescribing rate for opioid medications has decreased, suggesting healthcare providers have become more cautious about their opioid prescribing practices.

Haase also said doctors tend to prescribe medications as needed, but sometimes there is medicine leftover, or people keep it just in case they may need it again. Drug Take Back Day allows people the chance to get rid of expired or unused prescription medication that could be harmful to themselves and others.

Heather Bolte, now the executive director at the Area Substance and Alcohol Abuse Prevention (ASAAP), said she took advantage of a Drug Take Back Day event after she was prescribed hydrocodone following a surgery. Bolte said she learned about a Take Back Day in the Hastings Tribune and decided it was a good way for her to safely dispose of her unused medication, “to help reduce possible poisonings, overdoses and suicide attempts.”

“Drug Takeback Day is important to our community. People don’t realize they shouldn’t flush unused medications down the toilet or toss in the trash,” she said. “If disposed of improperly, the medicine can pollute our environment since we use the same water to drink or grow crops. Water treatment facilities do not have enough technology to remove all of the pollutants.”

Bolte added to the environment statement, noting how landfills are another area of concern for unused medications.

“Landfills were designed to receive solid waste. If there is a breakdown in the protective structure surrounding the landfill, substances from the buried trash, including discarded medicines, may leak out into the soil, leading to contamination of soil and groundwater.”

The Superior Police Department will host a DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday. Unneeded medication can be turned in at the police department building at 154 W. Fifth Street in Superior for safe disposal.