Spring 2026 Drug Take Back Day: April 24th

By Leanna Lynch, Public Affairs Officer
Join us on Friday, April 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crossroads in Building 78 for a special event to safely dispose of unused or expired medications
The VA Bedford Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 30th one-day, nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative. The event is in collaboration with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from homes.
For 16 years this event has helped Americans safely and easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—to prevent drug misuse and abuse. Since 2010, this initiative has resulted in over 1.9 million pounds of pharmaceutical waste collected over 29 Drug Take Back events in New England alone.
Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,200 drop-off locations nationwide. The collection site for VA Bedford will be at the receptacle located in front of Police Dispatch in building 78 Crossroads. The collected medications will be disposed at several incineration facilities located throughout New England that will convert the pharmaceutical waste into clean, renewable energy for use by local communities.
Can the New England Field Division count on your support as they work to reduce this growing problem?
If you can’t make it on the 24th, no need to worry! Find a year-round drop off location by visiting:https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1
Resource Links
The following are useful links to drug facts and resource materials during and after #TakeBackDay.
- Drugs of Abuse: DEA publication w/facts about most commonly abused drugs
- www.JustThinkTwice.com (for teens)
- www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com (for parents, caregivers, and teachers)
- www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov (for teachers and college campus community leaders/advisors)
- www.OperationPrevention.com
- Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines (Source: Food & Drug Administration (FDA))
- How to Dispose of Medicines Properly (Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA))
