DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day Returns to Oneida This Weekend

If you’ve got old prescription bottles taking up space in your medicine cabinet, now’s the time to clear them out safely. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold its nationwide Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with collection sites across New York, including two in Oneida.

A Safer, Smarter Solution

For years, people were told to flush unused drugs or toss them in the trash, methods we now know can harm the environment. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been found in New York’s lakes, rivers, and streams, even after advanced water treatment. Continuous exposure to these chemicals can cause behavioral and physical changes in fish and other aquatic life, contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and impact water quality.

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New York’s Drug Take Back Act, signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018, requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to fund programs that make proper disposal accessible year-round. That means more drop boxes at retail pharmacies, hospitals, and local facilities across the state.

Drug Take Back Initiative 

The DEA’s Take Back initiative not only supports this effort, it gives residents a simple, no-questions-asked way to do their part for both community safety and environmental health.

The program offers a free, anonymous, and environmentally responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs, keeping them out of landfills, waterways, and the wrong hands.

Residents can drop off unused or unwanted medications locally at:

• Oneida City Police Department, 108 Main Street

• Oneida Tractor Supply, 2019 Upper Lenox Avenue

To find additional drop-off locations or learn more about how the program works, visit the DEA’s official National Drug Take Back webpage.

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