releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=69881f68-7cc4-494b-9870-c96ef4f21299
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=69881f68-7cc4-494b-9870-c96ef4f21299 | Heitkamp Encourages North Dakotans to Participate in National Drug Take-Back Day on April 26 | 2014-04-25 | 2014 | 2014-04 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | FARGO, N.D. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today encouraged North Dakotans to participate in National Drug Take-Back Day by properly disposing of unwanted or expired prescription drugs. On Saturday, April 26 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and its partners will provide the opportunity for North Dakotans to rid their medicine cabinets of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs at various locations in the state. Prescription drug abuse has torn apart too many lives, families and communities across the state and all of us need to do our part to help put an end to it, said Heitkamp. That is why I encourage all North Dakotans to participate in Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday. The simple act of bringing expired or left over medicine to one of the locations across the state can help reduce access to prescription drugs and push back on the growing problem of prescription drug abuse in North Dakota. In North Dakota, 71 percent of prescription drugs abused are obtained through a friend or relative. Drug Take-Back Day encourages families to get rid of unwanted or unused medications so they dont fall into the wrong hands. In the oil patch, and across North Dakota, prescription drug abuse is increasing at a higher rate than any other state. And while one in every six high school students in the state report taking prescription drugs not prescribed to them, 44 percent of community members dont know if youth prescription drug abuse is a problem in their community. Efforts to combat prescription drug abuse are working to decrease access to unwanted and unused medication and as of October 2013, the Drug Take-Back program will have collected and destroyed 5,699 pounds of prescription drugs. Take back event drop-offs are anonymous and no questions are asked. To find the closest participating locations in North Dakota, please click here and enter your zip code. Background Fighting drug abuse in North Dakota is one of Heitkamps priorities. As part of her efforts to improve community safety and curb drug abuse, she: Brought White House Office of Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director R. Gil Kerlikowski to North Dakota in July 2013 to see first-hand the drug abuse and crime problems plaguing the Bakken, and discuss solutions to this challenge. Following the ONDCP Directors visit, Williams County was designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the federal government in hopes to bring significant federal resources to help combat drug trafficking and abuse. Met with Mexican government officials last week, and in addition to discussing human trafficking, they also addressed the growing heroin problem in North Dakota and across the country. Since last year, the number of heroin-related federal crimes in the state increased 438 percent. Sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General and DEA Administrator at the end of September 2013 urging them to expedite final regulations to expand access to drug take-back sites to accommodate the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. Joined a Narcotics Task Force meeting in Bismarck in August to talk about ways to address the narcotic and prescription drug abuse problem. The Narcotics Task Force was an important opportunity for law enforcement, health providers, and local officials to work side-by-side to find ways the state can curtail drug problems. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |