Virginia Office of Attorney General

10/19/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/19/2021 12:42

October 19, 2021 - Drug Takeback Day Events to Be Held Across Southside Region on Saturday

Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of the Attorney General

Mark Herring
Attorney General

202 North Ninth Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

For media inquiries only, contact:
Charlotte Gomer, Director of Communication
Phone: (804)786-1022
Mobile: (804) 512-2552
Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

~Attorney General Herring reminds Virginians to dispose of unused prescriptions, especially opioids, at one of many drop-off sites across the Commonwealth~

RICHMOND (October 19, 2021) - Attorney General Mark R. Herring is encouraging Virginians to take advantage of Saturday's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to dispose of unused or expired medications, especially prescription opioids, before they can be misused, abused, or accidentally ingested. Law enforcement agencies, community partners, and members of the Attorney General's team will be stationed at dozens of locations throughout the Commonwealth to accept medications for proper disposal. Takeback locations across the Northern Virginia region, which will be open Saturday, October 23rd from 10am - 2pm, are listed below, and you .

"Drug takeback days are a quick, safe, easy way to dispose of unwanted or expired prescriptions that you may have lying around your house, making our homes, families and communities safer and healthier," said Attorney General Herring. "Sadly, all too often addiction starts at home in the medicine cabinet when unused prescriptions fall into the hands of someone who could abuse them. I want to encourage all Virginians to take an hour out of their weekend to clean out any old or unused prescriptions and bring them to a drug takeback location near you."

There is a strong link between misuse of prescription opioids, opioid addiction, and even subsequent use of heroin once prescriptions become too expensive or are no longer accessible. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:

  • Heroin abuse is 19 times more likely among those who abuse prescription opioids
  • Half of young people who used heroin got started by abusing prescription opioids
  • One in fifteen individuals who misuse prescription opioid painkillers will try heroin within 10 years
  • Studies show a link between the availability of prescription and illicit drugs and the likelihood of abuse

In Virginia, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a spike in overdose deaths:

  • In 2020, 17.1% of all drug overdose deaths included fentanyl, a 71.7% increase from the year before
  • Between January and June 2020, at least 1,086 Virginians died from a drug overdose of either fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, opioids or other drugs, an increase of 39% from the year before

The heroin and prescription opioid epidemic has been a top priority for Attorney General Herring. He and his team continue to attack the problem with a multifaceted approach that includes enforcement, education, prevention, and legislation to encourage reporting of overdoses in progress, expand the availability of naloxone, and expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program. He has supported federal efforts to improve the availability of treatment and recovery resources and made prescription drug disposal kits available across the Commonwealth.

As part of this work, Attorney General Herring has focused on accountability for pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors who helped create, prolong, and profit from the opioid crisis in Virginia and around the country. Virginia is expected to receive half a billion dollars from opioid distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergin, and Cardinal, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson as a result of Attorney General Herring's multiyear investigation into the role opioid manufacturers and distributors played in creating and prolonging the opioid crisis in Virginia and across the country. Attorney General Herring has also reached a resolution of his lawsuit against the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma, that will make public tens of millions of documents related to their role in the opioid crisis, and require a payment of more than $4.3 billion for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in communities across the country. Virginia is expected to receive at least $80 million as its share of the agreement. Additionally, Attorney General Herring has secured $13 million through a settlement with McKinsey and Company for its role in "turbocharging" the opioid crisis. He has also filed suit against Teva/Cephalon for the role it played in creating the opioid epidemic. Additional multistate investigations and legal actions remain ongoing.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Herring's legislation that directs funds secured through these ongoing lawsuits toward opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery, ensuring that the most money possible goes to actually addressing the opioid crisis, was signed into law.

Drug Takeback locations include:

Location Name Collection Site Address City State,Zip
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOOD LION 4048 FRANKLIN TURNPIKE DANVILLE VA,24540
DANVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT CENTRA MEDICAL 414 PARK AVE. DANVILLE VA,24540
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE 21 NORTH MAIN ST CHATHAM VA,24531
MARTINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT MARTINSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
FRONT ENTRANCE
65 WEST CHURCH ST. MARTINSVILLE VA,24112
ROCKY MOUNT POLICE DEPARTMENT ROCKY MOUNT POLICE DEPARTMENT 1250 NORTH MAIN ST. ROCKY MOUNT VA,24151
BEDFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT TRACTOR SUPPLY 1128 E LYNCHBURG SALEM TURNPIKE BEDFORD VA,24523
PATRICK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE PATRICK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE 742 COMMERCE STREET STUART VA,24171
FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
WESTLAKE STATION
13205 BOOKER T WASHINGTON HWY HARDY VA,24101
LYNCHBURG SHERIFF'S OFFICE KROGER GROCERY STORE 2012 WARDS ROAD LYNCHBURG VA,24502
VINTON POLICE DEPARTMENT KROGER PARKING LOT
LAKE DRIVE PLAZA
915 HARDY ROAD VINTON VA,24179
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT WALMART (CLEARBROOK) 5350 CLEARBROOK VILLAGE LN. ROANOKE VA,24014
ROANOKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CVS 9TH STREET SE 702 9TH STREET SE ROANOKE VA,24013
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT KROGER AT VALLEY GATEWAY
NEAR FRONT ENTRANCE
3970 VALLEY GATEWAY BLVD ROANOKE VA,24012
FLOYD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FLOYD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
MAIN ENTRANCE
100 MAIN STREET FLOYD VA,24091
ROANOKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CVS AT TOWERS SHOPPING CENTER 2001 COLONIAL AVE SW ROANOKE VA,24015
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT WALGREENS
CORNER OF ELECTRIC ROAD & BRAMBLETON AVE
4049 BRAMBLETON AVE ROANOKE VA,24018
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT KROGER @ TANGLEWOOD MALL
FRONT PARKING LOT
4488 ELECTRIC ROAD ROANOKE VA,24018
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT LEWIS GALE
CAVE SPRING ER
2706 OGDEN RD ROANOKE VA,24018
ROANOKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT SOLUTIONS CENTER 2328 MELROSE AVE NW ROANOKE VA,24017
ROANOKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAL-MART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET 4950 PLANTATION ROAD ROANOKE VA,24019
ROANOKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET 4950 PLANTATION RD. ROANOKE VA,24019
SALEM POLICE DEPARTMENT SUPER SHOES
FRONT PARKING LOT
1838 W. MAIN STREET SALEM VA,24153
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE DIV. 6 VIRGINIA STATE POLICE DIV 6 OFFICE 3775 W. MAIN STREET SALEM VA,24153
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICE- SALEM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
WEST GATE ENTRANCE; MAIN HOSPITAL
1970 ROANOKE BOULEVARD SALEM VA,24153
APPOMATTOX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FARMERS BANK OF APPOMATTOX 169 OLD COURTHOUSE ROAD APPOMATTOX VA,24522
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE DIV. 3 VIRGINIA STATE POLICE DIV 3 OFFICE 240 THIRD DIVISION LOOP APPOMATTOX VA,24522
RALEIGH POLICE DEPARTMENT FALLS RIVER PHARMACY 10930 RAVEN RIDGE RD RALEIGH NC,27614