National Prescription Drug Take Back Day gives you an opportunity to safely dispose of medications that are no longer needed or are outdated.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors the Take Back Day as part of its commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes, preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction.

Medications are the most common method of non-fatal suicide attempts for service members. Discarding unneeded medications can also prevent children from accidentally taking them.

This year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be October 28 across the United States.

To learn more about where to dispose of unneeded medications, visit  https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#collection-locator.

The Department of Defense (DoD) defines a drug prescription as being valid for the period written by the prescribing authority for the named service member and valid only for six months after filling.

Prescription drug misuse includes:

Taking a medication prescribed for somebody else. People unknowingly contribute to this form of misuse by sharing their unused medication with other Marines or family members.

Taking a drug in a higher quantity or in another manner than prescribed. Most prescription drugs are dispensed orally or in tablets, but sometimes the tablets can be crushed, snorted, or injected to amplify the drug’s effect on the brain.

Taking a drug for a purpose other than prescribed. Prescription drugs can produce pleasurable effects in sufficient quantities, so one of the main reasons a Marine may misuse them is to get high.

Your local Substance Abuse Counseling Center (SACC) provides services to help address substance misuse concerns.

More information and resources are available at www.usmc-mccs.org/substance.