Full Notification

14th NATIONWIDE PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 14th opportunity in over six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal on Saturday, October 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to any one of the below-listed collection sites. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, the public turned in 900,386 pounds (450 tons) of medication to DEA and more than 4,200 of its community partners at almost 5,500 collection sites nationwide. Marking the 13th National Prescription Take Back Day since September of 2010, these events have altogether collected 8,103,363 pounds (4,052 tons) of prescription drugs.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Also, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. “Educating the public on the proper disposal of unused medicines has led to over 4,000 tons of prescription drugs being turned in. I believe residents are aware of this every six-month service being provided to them and, they plan for it,” said Sheriff John McMahon.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will have seven stations participating with the collection of these unused prescription medications. They will be open on Saturday, October 28th, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and no appointment is necessary. The participating sites are listed below:

Apple Valley Police Department 760-240-7400
14931 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley

Chino Hills Station 909- 364-2000
14077 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills

Hesperia Police Department 760-947-1500
15840 Smoke Tree Street, Hesperia


Highland Police Department 909-425-9793
26985 East Baseline, Highland

Morongo Basin Station 760-366-4175
63665 Twenty-Nine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree

Rancho Cucamonga Police Department 909-477-2800
10510 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga

Victorville Police Department 760-241-2911
14200 Amargosa Road, Victorville


We encourage every citizen to look in their homes for any old, unused prescription medication and bring them to one of the listed collection sites for disposal. For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 28th Take-Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website. Any public inquiries can be made to 1-800-882-9539 or, contact the Sheriff’s Public Affairs Division at 909. 387.3700

Public Affairs Division
909.387.3700


JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department