San Joaquin County Public Health Services and the San Joaquin County Opioid Safety Coalition will partner with local law enforcement and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to provide drop-off locations for expired and unwanted prescription drugs.

This event provides a safe, anonymous, and environmentally friendly alternative of disposal to prevent misuse.

Residents can stop by five drop off-sites throughout the county including:

• Lodi Police Department, 215 W. Elm St., Lodi;

• Youngs Payless Market, 18980 CA-88, Lockeford;

• Code 3 Wear, 304 Lincoln Center, Stockton;

• Stockton Unified School District Dept. of Public Safety, 640 N. San Joaquin St., Stockton;

• Tracy Police Department, 1000 Civic Center Drive, Tracy.

This service is free of charge and anonymous; no questions asked. Sites cannot accept needles or sharps materials.

Additionally, the following should be considered:

• Pills may be brought in loose, in blister packs, or in their original prescription bottles.

• Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container.

• Vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted but must have lithium batteries removed.

• Pet medications are also accepted.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Data shows that most abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, particularly home medicine cabinets, so clearing out unused medicine is essential. Prescription medications often end up in the wrong hands, fueling an epidemic that kills more Americans than car accidents, according to the DEA. This Drug Take Back Day is the 27th nationwide event since its origination back in 2010. This past spring, more than 670,000 pounds of unused or expired medications were collected across all collection sites during the April 2024 Drug Take Back Day. In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are more than 11,000 authorized collectors available year-round. For more information you can visit San Joaquin County’s Medication and Sharps Disposal Program’s website or the DEA’s year-round collection site locator.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com. For questions about the local overdose prevention efforts, contact Rachel Zerbo, Public Health Educator, at 209-468-2699 or rzerbo@sjcphs.