STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

ANNE LOPEZ

ATTORNEY GENERAL

LOIO KUHINA

ATTORNEY GENERAL ENCOURAGES PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

News Release 2026-58

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 16, 2026

HONOLULU - The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General is partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Hawai'i Department of Law Enforcement (DLE), its Narcotics Enforcement Division and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the 31^st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient and responsible way for the public to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications, while keeping our communities safe from the potential for abuse or misuse of these medications.

Take Back Day drive-through collection sites will be available at various locations on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. For a list of the Take Back locations, visit https://ag.hawaii.gov .

Residents on Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island can also dispose of unused or expired prescription medications at designated police stations equipped with green prescription drug take-back boxes. These boxes allow for anonymous drop-offs. For more information on disposal locations, visit the Department of Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD) website at https://health.hawaii.gov/substance-abuse/

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is offered twice a year and provides a free, anonymous service to the public, with no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication are accepted. Medication may be left in its original container, and labels do not need to be removed. Vaping devices may also be accepted, but batteries must be removed. New or used syringes with needles will not be accepted.

Kenyon Terrell, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division, Honolulu District Office said, "Members of our island community can join the fight against synthetic drugs this Take Back Day. Clean out your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of unused medications to help prevent prescription drug misuse in your community. This fall, we are asking residents to do their part. Remember, Take Back Day also protects our water systems by providing a safe alternative for disposing of unused medications."

"We know street drugs are dangerous, illegal and sometimes deadly," said Jared Redulla, director of the Department of Law Enforcement. "Unused or unwanted medications can also be extremely harmful if they end up in the wrong hands or are misused. The National Take Back Initiative's success is due to the help we get from our local residents properly and legally disposing of unused and unwanted medications."

"Prescription drug misuse can impact not just the individual, but the entire family," said Valerie Mariano, chief of the Community and Crime Prevention Branch within the Department of the Attorney General. "Let's work together to prevent misuse by participating in these semiannual take back days."

Residents who know of anyone struggling with prescription drug misuse can visit https://manoa.hawaii.edu/c3od2a/hawaii-programs/

Unused or expired medication should be properly disposed of when no longer needed. Proper disposal is important for several reasons:

• Medications may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Misuse of prescription medications can pose serious health risks and can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
• Keeping unused or expired medications at home increases the risk of accidental poisoning, particularly for children and older adults
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another, or children may mistake medicine for candy.

Medications should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Proper disposal helps prevent medications from entering the water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.

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