Prescription drug overdose is the number one cause of death in Arizona and has been since 2007, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The Center for Disease Control gave Arizona a $3.5 million grant to prevent further overdoses, and they plan to use it in a number of creative ways said Tomi St. Mars, chief of injury prevention at the Department of Health Services.

 “From a community standpoint, changing the way we as consumers view pain and using other modalities before jumping to stronger pain medicine and then making sure that we’re not hoarding our medications for a rainy day,” said St. Mars. 

The Arizona Drug Enforcement Administration is holding a prescription drug take-back event September 26 at 10 locations across the Valley.

• Black mountain precinct station, 33355 N. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331

• Black Mountain precinct station, 302 E. Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85024

• Desert Horizon precinct station, 16030 N. 56th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

• Maryvale precinct station, 6180 W. Encanto Boulevard, Phoenix AZ 85035

• Mountain View precinct station, 2075 E. Maryland AV. Phoenix AZ 85016

• Metro Center Mall, transit center, 9617 N. Metro Parkway, Phoenix AZ 85021

• Sunny slope neighborhood police station, 750 W. Peoria Ave. Phoenix AZ 85029

• Target shopping center, 5715 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix AZ 85015

• Target shopping center, 4734 E. Ray Road, Phoenix AZ 85044

• Target shopping center, 2140 E. Baseline Road, Phoenix AZ 85042