October 24, 2025– Chicopee, Massachusetts — The Hampden District Attorney’s Office and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office are encouraging residents to safely dispose of their unneeded or expired medications during a Drug Takeback event on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Price Rite parking lot, located at 1600 Memorial Drive in Chicopee.

Community members are invited to stop by and turn in any prescription or over-the-counter medications for safe and secure disposal, no questions asked.

Proper disposal helps prevent accidental ingestion, misuse, and environmental harm caused by flushing or throwing medications away. Misuse of prescription drugs, whether opioids for pain, depressants for anxiety, or stimulants for conditions like attention-deficit hyperactive disorder by someone not medically prescribed them can have serious medical consequences, including death.

The Take Back campaign is part of efforts by the U.S. Justice Department’s Drug Enforcement Administration to educate the public, with the help of partner organizations, about the importance of removing unneeded or expired prescription medications from their homes and to offer designated locations where they can be disposed of at no cost and anonymously. Since 2010. Take Back Days have removed 19.2 million pounds of unused medications from communities across the country, including nearly 650,000 pounds in Massachusetts.

Capsules, patches, and other forms of prescriptions as well as expired over-the-counter medications are accepted on Take Back Day.

Residents who are unable to attend can utilize permanent MedReturn boxes located in several police departments across Hampden County including: Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Palmer, Monson, Southwick, West Springfield, Westfield, and Wilbraham.