Take Back Day is a coordinated day across the United States where communities partner with law enforcement to collect unneeded and unused medications for safe destruction. This effort helps to prevent accidental health risks.
To find a take back event near you, use the DEA’s Collection Site Locator. Please check back regularly, as events are continually added.
Prevention is key. To turn the tide of the opioid epidemic, we need to prevent substance misuse before it begins. Creating safe and convenient opportunities for community members to dispose of their unused and leftover medications is essential. These events also serve as an opportunity to educate community members on how to safely store medications at home and how to safely dispose of medications year-round.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) selects a day in the spring and the fall to host nationwide events. OPEN partners with local communities in Michigan to support events;
We offer:
Educational resources:
Guidance on planning and the implementation processes:
It is the event organizer’s responsibility to seek additional information where required, ensure that all approvals have been obtained, and adherence to all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations.
Limited scholarship opportunities:
OPEN has limited scholarships available for organizations in financial need that are hosting events in high-impact counties listed below. Approved expenses could include fees for law enforcement time, marketing materials, and equipment needed to host the day (such as rental tables). Scholarships are awarded as reimbursement to the hosting site after the event. Apply here.
Take Back Events are hosted in partnership with local law enforcement and the DEA.
Law Enforcement – contact them early and work closely with them, a law enforcement officer is required to register an event.
Every take back event must be registered through the DEA. The point of contact for events in Michigan is Detroit.Take.Back@dea.gov. The DEA will assist you with providing disposal boxes for your event and posters to advertise your event.
Contact the DEA point of contact (POC) for your state listed on this website. Your POC will let you know how to register your event with the DEA.
In Michigan, sites must register for each event hosted.
In order to host a successful Take Back Event, it is important to get the whole community involved. Begin by forming a team comprised of volunteers and law enforcement. Your team members will be critical to spreading the word and ensuring that everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.
The venue you choose is important to make sure your community can get to the event. Make sure that law enforcement and the property manager approve of hosting the event at the desired location.
Things to consider when choosing a venue:
Venue suggestions:
The organization and volunteers are responsible for funding the event. If funding is a barrier, OPEN has seen success for organizers reaching out to organizations in the community.
Take back events can coincide with additional community services, but these are the responsibility of the organization and volunteers planning the event (law enforcement is not obligated to help with these).
Examples of these services include
These services are all optional. None of the services listed above are required to participate in DEA Take Back Day. Before planning additional services, communicate the plan to your law enforcement officer and ensure they are comfortable offering those services at your event. Law enforcement is not obligated to pay for these services. The DEA will not collect sharps through DEA Take Back Day. It is the responsibility of your organization to ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations pertaining to medication collection when choosing to offer these services.
The DEA will only collect certain substances at take back events. These substances are accepted:
The DEA will not collect these substances:
While law enforcement will maintain control and custody of your medication disposal box contents, the hosting organization is responsible for the collection and disposal of any sharps you receive.
Solid medications, including pills, can be removed from the original container and placed directly into the DEA collection box. Liquid medications should remain in the original containers and be closed tightly to prevent leaking.
It is highly recommended that event organizers only use collection boxes provided by the DEA to ensure each box is an appropriate size and weight to carry safely.
If illicit substances, including marijuana or methamphetamine, are surrendered at a take back event, law enforcement should handle such material as abandoned property in accordance with department policy.
All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process. Law enforcement personnel should not handle the medications at any time.
No effort should be made by law enforcement personnel to count, inventory, or log medications.
Learn how to successfully host a Medication Take Back Event in your community.
