Safe drug disposal is an important step in fighting opioid misuse. In Arizona, we saw 48,259 suspected opioid overdoses from June 15, 2017, through August 13, 2020. Of these suspected overdoses, 6,752 were fatal. 
In honor of Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31), focused on drug prevention awareness and National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (October 24), we have tips on how everyone can make a difference!&nbsp;
Consider a drug take-back kiosk
Visit a drug take-back kiosk to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. Disposing of these medications means they won&rsquo;t be in the house where children, visitors, or pets might find them. Plus, you&rsquo;ll be protecting the environment by not tossing unused medications in the trash or down the drain. 
How to find a drug take-back kiosk
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
 <li>Go to <a href="http://mobilizeaz.com/takeback" target="_blank">MobilizeAZ.com/takeback</a> and use the map to find a Walgreens safe medication disposal location. You can search by city or ZIP code. 
 
 </li>
 <li>Check with your local pharmacy, fire station, or police department. Many have secure kiosks where you can return unused drugs. </li>
</ul>
Take action
<a href="http://mobilizeaz.com/takeback" target="_blank">Mobilize AZ</a> &mdash; Blue Cross&reg; Blue Shield&reg; of Arizona&rsquo;s (BCBSAZ) public health initiative to prevent and address opioid and substance use disorder, boost mental health, and combat diabetes &mdash; makes it easy to work together to make Arizona healthier. Safe and easy drug disposal is a small way that you can play a big part in protecting the health of our community. 
Promote substance misuse prevention as a family by participating in <a href="https://www.redribbon.org/virtual-activities" target="_blank">Red Ribbon Week virtual events</a>.

Get smart about drug disposal — learn how with Mobilize AZ

Imagine our strength when
we work together to fight opioid misuse. Safe and easy drug disposal is a small
way that you can play a big part in keeping our community healthy. This article
tells you how.

Get smart about drug disposal — learn how with Mobilize AZ

Imagine our strength when we work together to fight opioid misuse. Safe and easy drug disposal is a small way that you can play a big part in keeping our community healthy. This article tells you how.