Charleston, South Carolina — The second annual Drug Take Back Day is taking place around the country, with several places in the Lowcountry participating in the effort to collect outdated or unwanted medications.
Julia Horan, director of the Department of Public Health’s Substance Use Prevention Unit, stressed the significance of the event, stating that, while drug overdoses are decreasing, vigilance is still required.
“People are still overdosing and a big driver of drug overdose is prescription drugs,” Horan told reporters.
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, 2025 marks the first year of a drop in overdose deaths. Horan emphasized that many cases of drug abuse begin with a prescription, frequently after surgery or a sporting injury.
Mount Pleasant police gathered a substantial amount of medication, demonstrating the community’s dedication to proper disposal.
Horan described the dangers of improper disposal, saying, “People may go pick it out of the trash. And all of the medications going into the garbage aren’t particularly environmentally friendly.”
Last year, the state gathered 620,000 pounds of pharmaceuticals at the event.
For people who are unable to attend the biennial event, Horan stated that permanent disposal sites are accessible at pharmacies and police departments, providing a safe manner to dispose of pharmaceuticals year-round.
