Full Notification

SEVENTH 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 seventh opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal on Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the below listed collection sites. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (over 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2.8 million pounds—more than 1,400 tons—of pills.
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. In addition, 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. “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department remains committed to their partnership with the DEA. It is imperative that residents are aware of the proper way to dispose of unused prescription medications,” said Sheriff John McMahon.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will have eleven stations participating with the collection of these unused prescription medications. They will be open on Saturday, October 26h, 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

Barstow Sheriff’s Station 760.256.4838
225 East Mt. View, Barstow

Big Bear Sheriff’s Station 909.866.0100
477 Summit Blvd., Big Bear Lake

Central Station 909.387.3545
655 East 3rd Street, San Bernardino

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

Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station 760.552.6800
11613 Bartlett Avenue, Adelanto

Victorville Police Department 760.241.2911
14200 Amargosa Road, Victorville

Yucaipa Police Department 909.790.3105
34282 Yucaipa Boulevard, Yucaipa

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. If you have any questions, contact the Sheriff’s Public Affairs Division at 909. 387.3700 or any public inquiries can be made to 1-800-882-9539.

In addition to the collection sites listed above, additional locations throughout Southern California can be found by visiting www.dea.gov and clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon.

For additional information pertaining to DEA and prescription drug abuse, visit www.dea.gov, www.justthinktwice.gov, or www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com.


Public Affairs Division
909.387.3700


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