Full Notification

13th NATIONWIDE PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 13th opportunity in over six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal on Saturday, April 29th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to anyone of the below-listed collection sites. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, the public turned in 731,269 pounds—almost 366 tons—of medication to DEA and more than 4,000 of its community partners at almost 5,200 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs have been removed from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and nightstands by citizens around the country.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. “The success of this program is evident with the over 7.1 million pounds of pills that have been turned in over the previous twelve events. It is critical that residents understand that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines pose potential safety and health hazards,” said Sheriff John McMahon.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will have nine stations participating with the collection of these unused prescription medications. They will be open on Saturday, April 29th, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and no appointment is necessary. The participating sites are listed below:

Apple Valley Police Department 760-240-7400
14931 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley

Barstow Sheriff’s Station 760-256-4838
225 East Mt. View, Barstow

Central Station 909-387-3545
655 East 3rd Street, San Bernardino

Chino Hills Station 909- 364-2000
14077 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills

Hesperia Police Department 760-947-1500
15840 Smoke Tree Street, Hesperia

Highland Police Department 909-425-9793
26985 East Baseline, Highland

Morongo Basin Station 760-366-4175
63665 Twenty-Nine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree

Rancho Cucamonga Police Department 909-477-2800
10510 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga

Victorville Police Department 760-241-2911
14200 Amargosa Road, Victorville

We encourage every citizen to look in their homes for any old, unused prescription medication and bring them to one of the listed collection sites for disposal. For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 22nd Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website. Any public inquiries can be made to 1-800-882-9539 or, contact the Sheriff’s Public Affairs Division at 909. 387.3700

Public Affairs Division
909.387.3700

JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department