National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27.

 “DEA’s Take Back events serve as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding medications and disposing of unneeded ones,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said in a release. “This event is one of the ways we can help prevent medication misuse, and it’s an opportunity for the public to dispose of their prescription drugs in a safe and reliable manner.”

While “Every Day is Take Back Day” thanks to year-round participating collection sites, the national designation reminds people to properly dispose of their unwanted, unneeded or expired medications instead of throwing or flushing them away.

In Great Falls, the Alliance for Youth and Substance Abuse Prevention Alliance help promote the locations to safely dispose of prescription drugs.

Take Back locations in Great Falls are (* denotes locations with syringe disposal boxes):

• Albertsons: 1414 3rd St. N.W.
• Albertsons: 2250 10th Ave. S.
• *Alluvion Health: 601 1st Ave. N.
• Big Sky Managed Care: 915 1st Ave. S.
• Benefis Health System: 1101 26th St. S.
• Clinic United Pharmacy: 1400 29th St. S.
• CVS Pharmacy: 2001 10th Ave. S.
• *Little Shell Tribe: 511 Central Ave. W.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base Pharmacy: 7300 N. Perimeter Road
• Plaza United Pharmacy: 2800 11th Ave. S.
• Walgreens: 2301 10th Ave. S.

“DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse,” Angie Pickrel, DEA RMFD acting diversion program manager, said in a release.

The national event takes place twice per year, the final Saturdays in April and October.

In October 2023, law enforcement departments nationwide, including 55 in Colorado, 48 in Utah, 19 in Montana and 10 in Wyoming, assisted in collecting 599,897 pounds, or 300 tons, of prescription drugs, according to the DEA.

The breakdown collected in the RMFD during DEA Take Back Day in October 2023 was:

• 7,988 lbs. in Colorado
• 8,175 lbs. in Utah
• 1,109 lbs. in Montana
• 1,232 lbs. in Wyoming

National Take Back Day has collected 17,900,351, or 8,950 tons, since it began.

Crimestoppers hosting fentanyl presentation

Great Falls/Cascade County Crimestoppers is hosting Fentanyl-The Death of a Community at 6 p.m. April 30 at Alliance for Youth, 3220 11th Ave. S.

Speakers will present information and images related to the current trends in the fentanyl crisis, the impact of fentanyl use in our own community, and the potential for harm in the future.

Participants will learn what fentanyl looks like, how to recognize if someone is using fentanyl, and how to talk with youth and families about medicine safety, the risk of overdose and death, and the importance of keeping our kids and our community safe.

Speakers include:

• Detective Brandon Holzer, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
• Maggie Anderson, Lincoln County Unite for Youth
• Beth Price Morrison, Alliance for Youth prevention specialist
• Featured presentation by Deputy John Hyslop with narcotics K9 Bear