Attorney General Chris Carr joined Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration Robert Patterson, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Georgia Poison Center, the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to kick off the Spring National Drug Take Back Day in Georgia.

“The Office of the Attorney General is a proud supporter of National Drug Take Back Day in conjunction with our partners in the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorney’s offices, statewide sheriff and police offices, participating private sector organizations and local communities,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Medicines that sit in home cabinets are ripe for misuse and abuse, and this day provides us a great opportunity to remove them from our homes and out of the hands of those who might use them inappropriately. We encourage all Georgians to take advantage of this service and help us fight back against opioid misuse.”

Results from a national survey indicate that nearly 19 million Americans over the age of 12 abused or misused prescription drugs in the past year. One of the leading factors contributing to misuse is the fact that we are frequently left with excess prescription opioids, which are often poorly stored and easy targets for drug misusers or children. Most people who abuse prescription opioids get them for free from a friend or relative, and accidental ingestion is also on the rise. According to data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, from 2004 to 2011, an estimated 22,174 children ages 1 to 5 were taken to an emergency room due to accidental ingestion of opioid pain relievers.

Drug Take Back Day gives us an opportunity to take one simple step and do our part to turn these statistics around. Georgians participating in the most recent take-back held on October 28, 2017 yielded 7,687 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state. This is incredible, and we need to build off the momentum.