These local drop-offs regularly accept about 200 pounds of unused prescription drugs and vape pens in Evansville alone.
Collection sites will be set up nationwide. Locally, drugs can be anonymously discarded at the Evansville Indiana State Police on US 41 north, just south of State Road 64. The event is from 10 am to 2 pm.
Sgt. Todd Ringle with the ISP said this free event is for liquid and pill-form prescription drugs.
“Especially with painkillers — painkillers are very addictive, and it has created many issues,” Ringle said. “So again, this is a great event to give everyone the opportunity to take all those unused drugs and bring them to us and we will properly dispose of them.”
This is the 26th DEA-sponsored takeback event, which occurs twice per year. The next event is in October. Ringle said thousands of pounds of unused drugs have been taken in over the program’s 12 years.
They accept all forms of medicines, from cancer and diabetes medication and painkillers.
“You name it, we accept it, and we take it in.”
They also accept vape pens as long as the battery is removed, which were added in recent years.
Prescription painkillers continue to be the most discarded item at these events, which can easily be misused if not properly discarded, said Ringle.
“Unfortunately, a lot of times, young people, even some adults believe that just taking a prescribed medication is not going to be harmful because it's a prescribed medication,” he said. “But a prescribed medication has to be prescribed to a certain individual. So just trying a drug for the first time. When it's not your drug is extremely dangerous.”