KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Residents with unwanted or leftover prescriptions pills can turn them in at several East Tennessee locations Saturday, Oct. 24, as part of the DEA National Drug Take Back Day.
Locations will be set up in Blount and Union counties and Pigeon Forge among other places. The scheduled time at many places is 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
You can find a list of locations here.
As a reminder, the Knoxville Police Department also maintains a drop-off at its headquarters at 800 Howard Baker Jr. Ave.
The take-back day is one way to help curb the country's prescription abuse problem, according to the DEA.
A 2018 survey showed some 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs.
Most abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet, according to the DEA.
Health experts say drug overdoses - from prescription pills as well as opioids such as fentanyl - have been a critical problem in East Tennessee for several years. More than 280 people have died from a suspected overdose this year alone in Knox County, figures show.