DEA collects over 600k pounds in unused medications for Drug Take Back Day

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The 27th National Drug Take Back Day was set for Saturday, October 26. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosts this annual event to provide residents with a way to safely dispose of their unused medication.

4,425 law enforcement agencies participated in this national event. There were 4,644 total collection sites.

The total amount of unused medication collected in October was 629,953 pounds or 314 tons. In New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts combined, 44,441 pounds were collected. Since National Prescription Drug Take Back Day started, over 19 million pounds of medications have been collected.