CHICAGO, Ill. — The Drug Enforcement Administration and more than 4,200 law enforcement partners collected 645,636 pounds of unused medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 24, the agency announced.
Read the DEA release: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2026/11/05/dea-chicago-field-division-leads-nation-october-take-back-day
The Collection, The Sites, The Totals
The October 24 event marked the DEA's 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, with 4,212 collection sites nationwide, including 64 tribal locations, the release stated.
The DEA Chicago Field Division collected 94,327 pounds of unwanted medication throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, the most out of all 25 DEA domestic field divisions, the release stated.
Since 2010, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has collected 21,679,861 pounds of unused, unwanted and expired medications, the equivalent of more than 10,840 tons, the release stated.
Chicago Leads, The Divisions, The Decade
The Chicago division's haul topped every other field division in the country, the release stated.
The twice-yearly event is part of the DEA's ongoing effort to prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce the risk of accidental overdoses and poisonings, the release stated.
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"Twice a year communities across the country come together for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to help remove unused and unwanted medications from homes, reducing the risk of misuse, accidental poisonings, and overdoses," DEA Administrator Terry Cole said. "The collection of more than 645,000 pounds of medications this fall reflects the continued commitment of the public and our law enforcement partners to keep families safe."
"The success of Take Back Day across the Chicago Field Division shows what is possible when residents, law enforcement, and community partners work together to safely dispose of unwanted medications," Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, said. "We are grateful for everyone who participated and helped safeguard our communities."
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
, Safe Disposal, The Program
More than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals, businesses and many police departments offer safe medication disposal year-round, the release stated.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day results are available on the DEA's Take Back Day page, and the agency's Every Day is Take Back Day page lists permanent drop box locations, the release stated.
Anyone with unused, unwanted or expired medications can find a permanent drop box through the DEA's Every Day is Take Back Day page and dispose of them safely year-round.
Sources
Drug Enforcement Administration, "DEA Chicago Field Division Leads Nation on October Take Back Day," November 5, 2026: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2026/11/05/dea-chicago-field-division-leads-nation-october-take-back-day
Transparency notes
Published: Nov 6, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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