Did you miss DEA national take back day? It’s not too late

EL PASO, Texas -- It's not too late to get rid of your unwanted, expired or unused medication and help curb a concerning trend, even if you missed DEA national take back day.

The CDC says in 2021 more than 106,000 people died from a drug overdose. It's a 16 percent increase from 2020 and the most drug-related deaths ever recorded.

“We want to prevent that by getting rid of the unwanted, unused, expired medications," Carlos Briano with DEA El Paso said.

The CDC says opioids account for 75 percent of all overdose drug deaths.

“The first time someone misuses an opioid, it’s from a medicine cabinet that they got from a friend and a relative," Briano said.

The Drug Enforcement Administrations main goal is to prevent misuse of opioids and overdose deaths.

“We don’t ask any questions, we just take all the medications and destroy them in a safe and friendly way to the environment," Braino said.

Head to the DEA to learn where you can take back your medication year round.