On the recordMay 7, 2018
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was last Saturday, the last Saturday in April. Today, President Trump announced that nearly 1 million pounds of prescription drugs were disposed of at sites across the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement, businesses, medical offices, Federal agencies, and first responders hosted events to collect and safely dispose of unneeded medication. National Take Back Day happens twice a year, and each time, thousands of pounds of prescription drugs are returned, helping to prevent incidents of drug abuse and misuse across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, unneeded or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue. Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that nearly 19 million Americans 12 years of age or older abused or misused prescription drugs in the past year. According to the CDC, most people who abuse prescription opioids get them for free from a friend or relative. We must continue our fight against the opioid epidemic, and the biannual Take Back Days are an important one step in doing so. ____________________
