October 19, 2021 - Drug Takeback Day Events to Be Held Across Hampton Roads 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 - 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 |
NEWPORT NEWS POLICE DEPARTMENT | WALGREENS J CLYDE MORRIS AND JEFFERSON PARKING LOT BETWEEN WALGREENS AND TIRE CITY | 600 J CLYDE MORRIS BLVD | NEWPORT NEWS | VA,23601 |
NEWPORT NEWS POLICE DEPARTMENT | SENTARA PORT WARWICK AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE | 1031 LOFTIS BLVD. | NEWPORT NEWS | VA,23606 |
HAMPTON POLICE DIVISION | SENTARA CAREPLEX HOSPITAL NEAR EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE | 3000 COLISEUM DRIVE | HAMPTON | VA,23666 |
NEWPORT NEWS POLICE DEPARTMENT | NEWPORT NEWS PD SOUTH PRECINCT | 3303 JEFFERSON AVENUE | NEWPORT NEWS | VA,23607 |
YORK-POQUOSON SHERIFF'S OFFICE | YORK-POQUOSON SHERIFF'S OFFICE PUBLIC WORKS COMPLEX | 105SERVICE DRIVE | YORKTOWN | VA,23692 |
NEWPORT NEWS POLICE DEPARTMENT | NEWPORT NEWS PD NORTH PRECINCT LOT BETWEEN POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS | 368 DESHAZOR DRIVE | NEWPORT NEWS | VA,23608 |
POQUOSON POLICE DEPARTMENT | POQUOSON POLICE DRUG TAKE BACK COLLECTION SITE POQUOSON PHARMACY & GIFTS | 498 WYTHE CREEK RD | POQUOSON | VA,23662 |
PORTSMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT | PORTSMOUTH FIRE STATION #3 FRONT DOOR | 4001 RIVERSHORE ROAD | PORTSMOUTH | VA,23703 |
CHESAPEAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT | CHESAPEAKE POLICE 4TH PRECINCT | 4764 STATION HOUSE ROAD | CHESAPEAKE | VA,23321 |
SURRY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | SURRY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE | 45 SCHOOL STREET | SURRY | VA,23883 |
PORTSMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT | OLD POLICE HEADQUARTERS | 711 CRAWFORD STREET | PORTSMOUTH | VA,23704 |
PORTSMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT | PORTSMOUTH SAFETY TOWN OUTSIDE FRONT DOOR | 4404 DEEP CREEK BLVD | PORTSMOUTH | VA,23702 |
WILLIAMSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT | WILLIAMSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT | WILLIAMSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT440 N BOUNDARY STREET | WILLIAMSBURG | VA,23185 |
CHESAPEAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT | CHESAPEAKE POLICE 2ND PRECINCT | 1209 20TH ST. | CHESAPEAKE | VA,23324 |
CHESAPEAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT | CHESAPEAKE POLICE 3RD PRECINCT | 949 NORTH GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGHWAY | CHESAPEAKE | VA,23323 |
NORFOLK POLICE DEPARTMENT | NORFOLK POICE OPERATIONS CENTER | 3661 E. VA BEACH BLVD | NORFOLK | VA,23502 |
GLOUCESTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | WALMART PHARMACY TABLE AT PHARMACY | 6819 WALTONS LANE | GLOUCESTER | VA,23061 |
JAMES CITY COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT | JAMES CITY COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER | 4600 OPPORTUNITY WAY | WILLIAMSBURG | VA,23188 |
CHESAPEAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT | CHESAPEAKE POLICE 5TH PRECINCT | 400 VOLVO PARKWAY | CHESAPEAKE | VA,23320 |
VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT | KROGER | 3330 VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD | VIRGINIA BEACH | VA,23452 |
VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT | KROGER | 3901 HOLLAND ROAD | VIRGINIA BEACH | VA,23452 |
KING AND QUEEN SHERIFF'S OFFICE | NICK'S RESTAURANT SIDE PARKING LOT | 3483 LEWIS B. PULLER HWY | SHACKLEFORDS | VA,23156 |
FRANKLIN (CITY OF) POLICE DEPARTMENT | WALGREENS | 100 SOUTH COLLEGE DRIVE | FRANKLIN | VA,23851 |
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | NORTHAMPTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FRONT LOBBY | 5211 THE HORNES | EASTVILLE | VA,23347 |
CHARLES CITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | CHARLES CITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | 10780 COURTHOUSE ROAD | CHARLES CITY | VA,23030 |
SUSSEX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | SUSSEX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | 20212 THORNTON SQUARE | SUSSEX | VA,23884 |
HOPEWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT | JOHN RANDOLPH HOSPITAL | 411 WEST RANDOLPH RD. | HOPEWELL | VA,23860 |
HOPEWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT | HOPEWELL POLICE | 311 CAVALIER SQUARE | HOPEWELL | VA,23860 |
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT | PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT SIDE PARKING LOT | 6600 COURTHOUSE ROAD | PRINCE GEORGE | VA,23875 |
FORT LEE - PROVOST MARSHAL OFFICE | FORT LEE MILITARY POLICE STATION FRONT LOBBY | BLDG# 8526MAHONE AVE | FORT LEE | VA,23801 |
NEW KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | NEW KENT SHERIFF'S OFFICE | 11995 COURTHOUSE CIRCLE | NEW KENT | VA,23124 |
COLONIAL HEIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT | COLONIAL HEIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING | 100-A HIGHLAND AVEPO BOX 3401 | COLONIAL HEIGHTS | VA,23834 |
HENRICO POLICE DEPARTMENT | FAIRFIELD HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY | 1401 N. LABURNUM AVE | RICHMOND | VA,23223 |
RICHMOND CITY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | RICHMOND CITY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | 1701 FAIRFIELD WAY | RICHMOND | VA,23223 |
ACCOMACK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | ACCOMACK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | 23323 WISE CT. | ACCOMAC | VA,23301 |
HANOVER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | MECHANICSVILLE CONVENIENCE CENTER | 7427 VERDI LANE | MECHANICSVILLE | VA,23116 |