WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today urged West Virginians to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drug Take-Back Day is an opportunity for the public to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by disposing of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

“Ensuring the safe and proper disposal of unwanted medications is critical to combating the drug epidemic that is harming West Virginia’s communities,” said Senator Capito. “Too often prescription drug abuse starts at home, which is why it is essential to use this opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinets. I hope all West Virginians will participate in this Saturday’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and help elevate the conversation about this alarming crisis.”

“Prescription drug abuse continues to devastate communities in our state and across this nation and we must work with our local, state and federal leaders and our law enforcement to end this epidemic,” Senator Manchin said. “Drug Take-Back Days have been tremendously successful in West Virginia and serve as an opportunity to bring neighbors and families together in the fight against drug abuse. These events raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and help individuals protect their loved ones by offering the opportunity to safely dispose of medications, including those that could be abused. Drug Take-Back Day is a simple and common sense initiative we can all rally around to combat drug abuse so that West Virginia and our beautiful country can have strong, drug-free communities.”

In May, after the DEA announced it would no longer sponsor National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, Senators Manchin and Capito sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch calling for the reinstatement of National Drug Take-Back Days. To view the letter, please click here.

At the last DEA-sponsored National Prescription Drug Take-Back event in 2014, the DEA and more than 4,000 of its partners collected 309 tons of unwanted drugs at nearly 5,500 individual sites, bringing the total amount of drugs collected in four years to more than 2,400 tons.

For more information and to find a certified drop-off location in your area, please click here.

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