National Drug Take Back Day is on Saturday, Oct. 23 and the goal is to provide a safe and convenient way to responsibly dispose of unused or expired medications. It happens twice a year, once in April and once in October.
Drug Take Back Day is a partnership between Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition (RAYSAC) and the Water Authority Prevention Council of Roanoke County. These groups get together with local law enforcement and set up drop-off sites for people to bring their unused medication. This is completely anonymous and once the medication is dropped off, it is destroyed. You can bring any kind of prescription, except for sharps, which include an epi pen or insulin shot.
Adam Neal, the Director for RAYSAC says, “We are doing this to keep the medications out of people’s hands that may abuse them. To keep them safe. To get old medications out of people’s homes. To keep them out of our waterways, our lakes and rivers.”
Last year they received over fifteen hundred pounds of medication in one event.
On Saturday you can drop off your prescriptions from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at their fourteen different drop off locations:
Botetourt County
- Penelope: 52 Kingston Dr. Daleville
- Solomon’s Mission - Buchanan
Franklin County
- Westlake Sheriff’s Office
- Rocky Mount Police Department
Roanoke City
- CVS-Towers Mall
- Solutions Center: 2328 Melrose Ave
- CVS: 9th Street
Roanoke County
- Kroger: Tanglewood Mall
- Kroger: Valley Gateway Blv
- Walgreens: Electric Rd and Brambleton
- Fire Station #1 on Hershberger at Plantation
- Clearbrook Walmart
- Lewis Gale Cave Spring ER: 2706 Ogden Rd
Salem
- Super Shoes: Main Street
- Virginia State Police Headquarters
- Salem VA Medical Center
Vinton
- Kroger: Hardy Road