The amount of unwanted medical waste has risen considerably in recent decades. But did you know that unused or expired medicine should be properly disposed of when it is no longer needed? But proper disposal does not mean throwing it in the trash or flushing it. Proper disposal by the proper authorities during Drug Take Back Days reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.
Why proper disposal of expired or unused medication is important, according to government officials and law enforcement agencies:
- Expired medicines may lose their effectiveness.
- Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
- Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning — especially in homes where children or the elderly live, as they are especially vulnerable.
- People may mistake one type of medicine for another, as pills can look very similar.
- Children may mistake medicine for candy.
Plus, the drug overdose epidemic in the US has become a clear and present public health, public safety and national security threat.
The main goal of the program is to fight the opioid epidemic, which medical professionals say can stem from the easy access to such medicines in homes everywhere. Removing unneeded medicine helps to prevent misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting and is also intended to help reduce drug-related violence.
For the public’s safety, the Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General has partnered with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Hawai‘i Department of Public Safety’s Narcotics Enforcement Division, and other local law enforcement agencies to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Days. Results of these take-back events have been substantial, “with thousands of pounds of unneeded and potentially dangerous medications being collected and safely destroyed,” the DEA says.
National Take Back Initiatives (NTBIs) are conducted every spring and fall and are free and anonymous services to the public — no questions asked. Anyone with expired or unused medications is encouraged to bring them to the collection sites located on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island on April 26 and Oct. 25, 2025, from 10am to 2pm. The majority of the take-back locations will be drive-through. So, if you’ve got a bottle or patch of medicine, or a vaping device you no longer use, drive to one of these centers for safe disposal.
Tablets, capsules, liquids, and other forms of medication will be accepted. Everything can be kept in its original container. Labels do not need to be removed. But batteries must be removed from vaping devices before dropping them off. New or used syringes will not be accepted.
Visit manoa.hawaii.edu/c3od2a/take-back for a list of take-back locations in Hawai‘i. To find your nearest take-back location, visit dea.gov/takebackday#resources (enter your zip code). If you are unable to participate in the take-back event, there are several year-round medication drop-off sites across the state. Any police or fire station will accept medication. Many CVS stores and all military pharmacies also have anonymous drop-off boxes that look like large mail boxes. Ask your pharmacist for help locating a box.
No access to the internet? Contact GM Publisher Cynthia Arnold at Cynthia@Generations808.com or 808-258-6618, or GM Community Relations Manager Sherry Goya at sgoyallc@aol.com or 808-722-8487 for locations.
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