National Drug Take Back Day in Virginia

Virginia – It’s time to clean up that medicine cabinet! If you have any leftover medicine or prescription drugs that you need to get rid of Saturday, Oct. 28, National Drug Take Back Day is the event for you.

According to Rockwall News, the event calls for community-wide participation, urging individuals to rid their homes of unused or expired drugs and to dispose of them at designated sites, ensuring both human and environmental safety. This collective action highlights the broader environmental impact of responsible medication disposal, preventing water contamination and harm to wildlife.

Thus, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day serves as a communal response to health, safety, and environmental preservation, reinforcing the community’s role in mitigating the ripple effects of the opioid crisis.

Multiple counties across Central Virginia are participating in the country-wide event which will kick off at 10 a.m. and last until 2 p.m.

In an effort to safely rid homes of unused or expired medications, police departments in Chesterfield and Henrico County are joining forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for a nationwide drug take-back initiative.

For this year’s event, residents of both counties will have several drop-off points at their disposal. Henrico County has designated three locations for public participation:

• Henrico Public Safety Building at 7721 E. Parham Road
• Henrico Fairfield Library at 1401 N. Laburnum Ave.
• Wegmans at 12200 Wegmans Blvd.

Meanwhile, Chesterfield community members can bring their unused drugs to Kroger on Midlothian Turnpike. Neighboring Hanover County is also contributing to the effort, with a collection event planned for tomorrow at the Kroger at 6335 Mechanicsville Turnpike.

Petersburg residents have the choice of several drop-off locations, including:

• Walmart at 3500 South Crater Road
• Petersburg Police Department at 3700 East Tabb St.
• Eastside Enhancement Center at 7301 Boydton Plank Road

Those in Richmond have several options as well, such as:

• VCU Police Department at 1201 Broad Rock Blvd.
• The University of Richmond Police Department at 490 Westhampton Way
• The VA Dept. of Veteran Affairs at 901 North Lombardy St.

The primary aim of this collaborative event is to provide a secure method of medication disposal. During the previous take-back event in April, Virginia established over 144 collection sites, contributing to the national tally of over 663,000 pounds of medication gathered.

In a complementary effort, select residents will have the opportunity to utilize free drug disposal kits. These innovative pouches deactivate medications safely. Users need to insert the unwanted pills, add warm water, seal the pouch, and after shaking it for thirty seconds, it’s ready for regular trash disposal. Availability may vary, and organizers recommend contacting collection sites in advance.