ption medications is against the law.
Properly store and dispose of medications
Never leave opioids where family, friends, children, or visitors may have access to them, including in your medicine cabinet. Once an opioid medication is no longer required, be sure to dispose of it properly by bringing it to a community collection site or drug takeback program, or flushing it down the toilet.4
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offers a helpful locator to find your nearest collection site.
With opioids, disposing of unused or unneeded medications is particularly important because more than 50 percent of people who report that they have misused prescription opioids say they have gotten them from friends or relatives – in other words, the medicine they misused was not prescribed for them.5 Unused medications can also become a household danger when consumed accidentally, especially by small children, resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalization and even death.6
More information on safe disposal is available on the FDA’s website.
Know that help is available for addiction
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease and, as such, needs treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, seek help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) confidential and anonymous Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator can be accessed here, and their free and confidential National Helpline can be reached through 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and 1-800-487-4889 (TTY).
Learn more about the risks of opioids on the CDC’s website.