[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 73 (Monday, May 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, National Prescription Drug 
Take Back Day was last Saturday, the last Saturday in April. Today, 
President Trump announced that nearly 1 million pounds of prescription 
drugs were disposed of at sites across the country.
  The Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with Federal, 
State, local, and Tribal law enforcement, businesses, medical offices, 
Federal agencies, and first responders hosted events to collect and 
safely dispose of unneeded medication.
  National Take Back Day happens twice a year, and each time, thousands 
of pounds of prescription drugs are returned, helping to prevent 
incidents of drug abuse and misuse across the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, unneeded or expired prescription medications are a 
public safety issue. Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use 
and Health indicate that nearly 19 million Americans 12 years of age or 
older abused or misused prescription drugs in the past year. According 
to the CDC, most people who abuse prescription opioids get them for 
free from a friend or relative.
  We must continue our fight against the opioid epidemic, and the 
biannual Take Back Days are an important one step in doing so.

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