This week, I am urging Floridians to help fight the opioid epidemic by participating in the 20th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 24. This event is a great opportunity for Floridians to properly dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs or controlled substances.

By disposing of unwanted or expired medicines, the supply of drugs available for people to misuse decreases, and drug abuse, addiction and overdose deaths can be averted.

The opioid crisis continues to ravage our state, claiming nearly 17 lives each day. In 2017, the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration reported that more than 50% of youth, ages 12 to 17, who reported using drugs stated that the prescription drugs most recently misused were obtained from a friend or relative. By taking stock of your medicine cabinet and bringing in your unused or expired pharmaceuticals to take-back locations, you can help us prevent addiction or even overdose deaths.

In Florida alone, more than 38,000 pounds of medications were collected at last year’s Drug Take-Back Day, with more than 440,000 pounds collected in the sunshine state since 2010.

You can learn more about National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day by visiting TakeBackDay.DEA.gov.

Fighting the opioid epidemic is one of my top priorities as Attorney General. To provide Floridians with more information about opioid addiction and useful resources, my office created Dose of Reality Florida. For locating year-round take-back locations and other tips to fight opioid abuse, visit this statewide resource at DoseofRealityFL.com.

By participating in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and decreasing the available drug supply, you can help us build a Stronger, Safer Florida.