Drug Take Back Day Returns to Napa County on Sat., October 25, 2025

National Drug Take Back Day returns on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 AM - 2 PM, at six locations throughout Napa County. Additionally, used home-generated medical sharps (used syringes and needles) and unused or expired medications can also be dropped off year-round at many locations throughout Napa County. These services are free and anonymous.

Why is proper disposal of medical sharps and unused or expired medications so important? "If medications are flushed or put down the drain, they can pass through the wastewater treatment process, which can be harmful to aquatic life and water quality," said Stephanie Turnipseed, Public Information and Outreach Specialist with the Napa Sanitation District. "It is best to bring expired or unused medications to a take-back event or one of the year-round drop-off locations for safe disposal. With recent regulations requiring pharmaceutical companies to fund drug disposal, many more takeback options, including additional drug takeback bins and mail back services have become available to us here in Napa County. These disposal options are free, and they help protect your family and the environment."

Here is a round-up of all the ways that you can dispose of: home-generated medical sharps, unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as controlled and non-controlled substances. By working to properly dispose of these unwanted items, we keep our households, and our environment, safe, clean and healthy.

Drug Take Back Day - Saturday, October 25, from 10 AM - 2 PM

The Police Departments of Napa, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, and American Canyon, the Napa County Sheriff's Office, Kaiser Permanente and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host collection events for unused or expired medication (including tablets, capsules, and liquids) and medical sharps (used syringes and needles) on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 AM - 2 PM, at several locations around Napa County.

• Please note that the Kaiser Permanente location will be drive-through only and residents are asked to store any material that they plan to drop off in their vehicle trunk. Staff will not open vehicle doors or enter vehicle cabins. It is recommended that any personal information on medication containers be removed or blacked out before dropping them off.
• These one-day collection sites can legally accept federally designated "controlled" substances that include many highly addictive prescription medications such as morphine and OxyContin, as well as illegal narcotics such as LSD and ecstasy.
• Home generated medical sharps (needles, syringes, epinephrine auto-injectors, etc.) will also be accepted for disposal at all the October 25 sites as well. State law prohibits the disposal of home generated sharps in trash or recycling containers.

October 25th Medication AND Sharps Collection Event Sites:

American Canyon Police Department

911 Donaldson Way East, American Canyon

Napa County Sheriff's Office

1535 Airport Blvd, Napa

Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Main Lot with Solar Panels

3285 Claremont Way, Napa

Yountville Sheriff Department

1950 Mulberry Street, Yountville

St. Helena Police Department

1088 College Ave, St. Helena

Calistoga Police Department

1235 Washington Street, Calistoga

Year-Round Drop-Off Locations

Household medications can be dropped off year-round at the following locations in Napa County. Please note that no business waste is accepted. You can also check with your pharmacy to see if they accept medications. Please remove personal information from the medication containers before dropping off.

Location for Year-Round Non-Controlled Substance Drop-Off

Hazardous Waste Collection Facility
889A Devlin Road, American Canyon • 1-800-984-9661
Friday & Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM

Locations for Year-Round Controlled and Non-Controlled Substance Drop-Off

Safeway
3375 Jefferson St, Napa • (707) 225-3037
103 American Canyon Rd, American Canyon • (707) 649-5150

Kaiser Permanente Napa Pharmacy
3285 Claremont Way, Napa • (707) 258-4440

CVS Pharmacy
675 Trancas St, Napa • (707) 252-2844
1558 Trancas St, Napa • (707) 253-7918

Napa County Sheriff's Office (lower lobby)
1535 Airport Blvd, Napa • (707) 253-4256

Calistoga Police Department
1235 Washington Street, Calistoga • (707) 942-2810

St. Helena Police Station
1088 College Ave, St. Helena • (707) 967-2850

American Canyon Police Department (front lobby)
911 Donaldson Way E, American Canyon • (707) 551-0600

Yountville Sheriff Station
1950 Mulberry St, Yountville • (707) 944-9228
(Use call box at front door for access)

Locations for Year-Round Residential Sharps/Syringe/Needle Drop-Off
Sharps must be in puncture-resistant containers.

Hazardous Waste Collection Facility
889A Devlin Road, American Canyon • 1-800-984-9661
Friday & Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM

Napa County HHSA - Public Health Division
2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Building B
Public Health Immunization Clinic • (707) 253-4270

Clover Flat Landfill
4380 Silverado Trail, Calistoga • (707) 963-7988

SB 212 requires pharmaceutical companies to pay for a statewide medication and sharps take back program. Manufacturers are required to run statewide stewardship programs that provide safe and convenient disposal options for pharmaceutical and home-generated medical sharps waste at no cost to the consumer. Medication collections will be available in receptacles and via pre-paid mail back options at no cost to consumers. Sharps will be collected via a secure mail back container at no cost to consumers. Secure sharps mail back containers are to be provided at the point of sale or within five days by stewardship programs and containers can also be requested online. More information can be found online at: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/pharmasharps/

Properly Disposing of Unused or Expired Medications (Prescription, Over-the-Counter, Controlled/Non-Controlled Substances)

In addition to the environmental impact of improperly disposed medications, prescription and over-the-counter drugs that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Year-round opportunities for safe and legal disposal of both controlled and non-controlled substances can also be found online at www.naparecycling.com/medicine or www.medtakebackcalifornia.org

Properly Disposing of Home-Generated Medical Sharps

Improper disposal of home generated medical sharps is a health and safety threat to children, home health care providers, trash & recycling workers, and pets through accidental needle-stick injuries. Sharps that are not disposed of properly can also end up on beaches and riverbanks, waterways, parks and more. Ideally, sharps should only be transported in an approved container obtained from a physician or pharmacy. A tightly sealed, leak- and puncture-resistant container with a lid, such as a bleach bottle, coffee can, or other similar container, is an acceptable alternative for transportation of sharps to the event. These containers should be labeled as "sharps." Mail back services are also available for your home generated sharps. Year-round options for residential medical sharps can also be found online at www.naparecycling.com/needles-and-sharps or www.sharpstakebackcalifornia.org

Event Sponsors and Supporters

These annual Drug Take Back Day events would not be possible without the ongoing support of the following organizations:

Drug Enforcement Administration, Napa County Sheriff's Department, Napa Police Department, American Canyon Police Department, Calistoga Police Department, St. Helena Police Department, Yountville Sheriff Department, City of Napa Recycling Division, Napa County, Kaiser Permanente, Napa Sanitation District, Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, Napa Recycling & Waste Services/Napa County Recycling & Waste Services and the Napa Opioid Safety Coalition.